The Bloody Cherry Blossom
by Miyaka Hana
Summary: Sakura and Sasuke are finally together, but after Sasuke demands Sakura give up her team of genin, their relationship turns unstable. Ambushed by Kabuto, Sakura has to make a Sacrifice to save her students, even if that means giving up her body. (Mature: character death, rape, abuse) GaaSaku/AkaSaku friendship
1. Sarada

Author note: it has been nearly seven years since I last updated. I am sure that most of you have moved on as I had as well. Just recently, I had decided to make an unprecedented return. For my comeback, I felt it most appropriate to return more mature and wise as I rewrite one of my very first fanfictions. This will be written with much more love and care, and will taken at a much slower pace due to the nature of the fiction.

Part of this chapter was written down by hand, so please excuse any inaccuracies or confusing content. Let me know, however so I can revise to make more sense. This will hit very close to home to some viewers. I have been without access to a computer for about a year so I am actually typing this all from my mobile phone. It will take much longer for that fact. This first chapter will be short, unfortunately due to me prewriting the first chapter by hand.

Every other chapter will be at least 10k words if possible. As with anyother story, there will be some filler content but this story will contain very mature themes, including rape, abuse, character death, and self harm. If this is a trigger, please proceed with caution or do not read. Without further adieu, let's begin!

The Bloody Cherry Blossom

Chapter one: Sarada

I loved him. He was beautiful in my eyes, faults and all. I wanted , no, needed to be there for him. I felt responsible for helping him make his way out of the darkness and showing him what the light could feel like. I had to show him what all my light could offer his troubled soul.

Ever since he returned, I could tell that the years away had made him physically stronger, but more than socially awkward and withdrawn. I wanted to help him get out of the pit he dug himself into. That's my purpose for this life, it had to be.

What kind of friend would I be if I wasn't there for him, loved him, or supported his reformation? Selfish. I could never imagine leaving him alone to suffer in silence like he once had to. He has Naruto, Kakashi, and I here for him. He didn't accept it while he was younger, but time heals most wounds. He understands now we only want him to be happy.

I remember the first time we made love, he was nervous, uncertain, afraid. I had to assure him I loved him with my whole being, and gave myself to him to prove the fact. I loved him, regardless of our past.

I had my doubts at first, why would he come back now? His brother was still alive, Orochimaru was still alive, is he a spy? I pushed away all negativity, I could not let my doubts get in the way of my love and his salvation.

Many others had their doubts and worries, but I could not see past for Sasuke's need for stability, his need for something that could not be taken from him. Only I could give him the true happiness he was seeking for the majority of his life.

I did everything thing I could to help him make his way back into our community, and I knew he appreciated it and he was starting to love me the way I had lived him all these years.

Whenever he asked me to be his wife, I was overwhelmed with happiness that all my efforts had not gone to waste, he wanted me to be the one and only constant he had in his life. He loved me. I couldn't be happier, however, my parents weren't nearly as thrilled…

" _Sakura, are you sure this is what you want? I think you're taking things way too quickly-" "Your mother is right! I have yet to be given a reason to to trust him since he turned against our village, your team, against you! You are acting like a love sick puppy, Sakura! You need to use your brain, this is a serious commitment!"_

 _My father was angry at my choice to be with Sasuke, Any time that I would even mention his name, he would be annoyed and irritable._

" _He has changed! He has more growing to do, but we will get through it together. I love him, please give us your blessing. "_

" _I refuse to bless a monster! That is what he is, he tried to kill you, do you not see he is as toxic to you as senbon?" I couldn't help but to fall to my knees and cover my eyes, sobbing. Why couldn't he see you through my eyes, Sasuke-kun?_

 _My father sighed and pulled me into an embrace, patting my back gently._

" _Sakura, we love you so very much. When you hurt, we hurt. We only want you to be happy and healthy. If he makes you happy, then you have our blessing." My mother joined the embrace and they held onto me tightly. I wiped away my tears and smiled._

" _Thank you mom, dad, Sasuke will make you proud and he will prove that he loves me, I promise!" they said nothing, but continues to hold me tightly._

I sighed at the memory. I wish they were still alive. Not even a full week after Sasuke and I 's engagement announcement, my parents were ambushed by bandits and ultimately murdered. All for goods that would total 20,000 yen. My parents lives were taken for such petty pocket change.

After their murders, I needed some time to mourn and asked Sasuke to hold our wedding off until I was finished grieving. He seemed a little anxious, but agreed nonetheless. He was understanding, he knew what it felt like, he supported me through everything. This is the man I am going to marry.

"Sakura… let me have you tonight, please. I want to love you all over again." He was kissing up and down my near naked body, all in the way were my bra and panties. I moaned in pleasure, but I felt stiff, I just didn't want his touching me like this right now, I love him, but I needed time

I tried to push him off and he gave me the look of hurt and annoyance. "Why won't you make love to me anymore? I want you so bad, and you keep pushing me away." He growled, still kissing and nibbling at my bare neck. I just turned to the side. He gave up, angry and defeated.

"I've been trying to be patient with you, but you keep pushing my feelings aside, I can't keep holding myself back, Sakura. People die every day, it is time you get over it." I felt like crying, I knew he was right, I was being a terrible fiancé, he loves me and I have been ignoring his needs for my own selfish grieving.

I moved over and pulled myself on top of him and kissed him deeply.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, let's make tonight special. I love you.". This is the love of my life. I need to be everything I had promised him that I would be. I cannot abandon my vows for a time of weakness. He turned me onto my back with him in control. I surrendered to his touch just as I should. I kissed him passionately as he reminded my body who has claimed it.

After he finished ravaging my body, he fell beside me in exhaustion. I laid my head against his chest, but reached up to give him a sweet peck on the lips when he wrapped his arms against my waist. And kissed me deeply, causing me to moan his name into his mouth.

"Move in with me, Sakura. Let us have more nights like this." I had wanted to wait until we were married but I couldn't ruin this beautiful moment by rejecting him. I love him so much.

"I would love to wake up with you by my side every morning, Sasuke-kun. I love you." He bit my neck, making sure his mark would show.

"I know. You are mine, you will be mine forever."

"Sakura-chan! Are you really moving in with Sasuke-teme?" I heard Naruto holler. I put down the box of my belongings and smile at him.

"Of course! We are engaged, ya know." He grinned sheepishly.

"Well, yeah I know, but I thought you were going to wait until you were married first. _I wish I could have…_ I shook away any other thoughts and replied promptly.

"That was originally the plan, but we decided we didn't want to wait." Naruto winked suggestively.

"Tryna revive the clan, eh?" I blushed and spat out my tongue.

"So what if we are? We are both consenting adults, thank you very much." He laughed and hugged me tightly, almost too tightly, restricting my breathing.

"Naruto… can't breathe.." he let go and scratched the back of his head and laughed.

"Sorry Sakura-chan! Tell Sasuke if he needs any pointers, he can ask the future Hokage! Dattebayo!" I laughed and patted Naruto on the shoulder. He had finally noticed all of Hinata's efforts to impress and show her affections after the battle with Pein. They were just married and now expecting twins! From what I could remember, a boy and a girl. I was so happy for them, they deserved it. They deserved each other.

Speaking of Hinata, how is her pregnancy going? Is she carrying high or low, she eating enough veggies? You better not be having her on her feet all the time Naruto." I warned him playfully.

"Ahhh Sakura-chan! I don't know what those things mean but she is usually resting, I told her our little ninjas in training need all the time they can get. No missions and no more than 6 hour shifts at the hospital and only around patients that aren't sick."

"Naruto. Sick and hospital are practically synonymous."

"I meant people who can make her sick, ahh Sakura-chan why do you use big words." I laughed with him.

"I know what you meant, I just like giving you a hard time. I can't imagine how much pain Hinata-chan is going through…" Naruto's eyes widened.

"I thought she doesn't get pain until she gives birth…" I smirked, Hinata will be either thankful or mad her husband is going to be overly protective now. Oh well. It'll be fun to watch.

"Oh poor Naruto… Hinata has to carry two developing babies in her stomach, and all of her organs and bones shift and might even break because the babies are making room, don't even get me started on hemorrhoids, you might not get laid for a solid 5 years after the twins are born if you're lucky."

Naruto looked pale and genuinely frightened. He began running back to his house to I assume tend to his pregnant wife. I laughed hard, finding it difficult to calm down. I looked at the time and realized how late it was. Sasuke was not going to be happy with how long I was taking.

Oh well, I'll just finish up and say goodbye to my first home. All my memories will be coming with me, but I feel like remnants of my past will still remain long after I leave this place. The last time I ever saw my parents. This was their home. My home…

Lime/Lemon warning

"Sakura, where have you been? It's 10 past 9. You were supposed to be home over an hour go." I put down all boxes I had gathered from my home. I sighed and sat down on the couch with Sasuke. He wasn't happy that I was late but I was too tired to fight.

I got in his lap and started kissing him passionately, grabbing his hand to guide it up my shirt to my breast.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun... How can you ever forgive me?" I breathed into his ear, he pinched my nipple, making me squeal in surprise. I felt him getting aroused and holding my hips down, forcing me to grind against his growing erection.

"What took you so long, Sakura?" he continued to caress my breast and casually pinch my nipple. His other hand wandered down my pants to finger me aggressively. I felt myself getting so wet and tight, I could barely speak.

"Can't handle it, Sakura? Do you want me to stop?" I shook my head, begging for his touch to never end. He smirked and started sliding off my panties. I kisses his lips, letting my tongue entwine with his, moaning into his mouth.

"Mmm. Sasuke-kun, take me. I am all yours. Forever yours. Claim me all over again." He smirked and kissed me and got up, leaving me on the couch.

"we will finish later, this is your punishment for coming home late." I pouted, I felt so hot and wet and aroused and he just leaves me here like this.

"Jerk… I'll just finish myself then." I picked up my soaking panties and made my way to the bathroom only for Sasuke to block the way. I was really irritated now. What is his damn problem?

"Get out of the way Sasuke. You left me hanging so now I have to finish." I tried to move him out of the way but he wouldn't budge.

"I told you this was your punishment come to dinner. Now." I ignored him and went to the bedroom to find some clean pajamas.

"I am going to bed." I told him and tried to slam the door shut but he held it open with his foot and forced himself inside our room. I tried to push him out but he resisted. Opening the door full force, throwing me on the bed and restraining me.

"Stop acting childish. Dinner is waiting for you. Then we can finish." I winced a little in pain, he released me and shut the bedroom door. I sighed. I was acting so stupid. But he didn't have to lead me on like that. Ugh. I better go in there and apologize. I grabbed new underwear and went to the table. Sasuke was waiting, his arms crossed, looking down.

I sat down beside him and we thanked kami for the meal and began to eat in silence. I swallowed my pride.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. I was being unruly, please forgive me." Sasuke looked up to me and nodded. That was easy?

"It's fine Sakura. I still want to know why you were late, however." I took another bite of my meal and swallowed.

"Naruto came by and wanted to talk. He and Hinata are expecting twins, isn't that so exciting? Then I started teasing Naruto by telling him all the gross and scary things about pregnancy until he ran home crying." I laughed. Sasuke chuckled.

"He also said that if you need any tips on procreating to ask him." I rolled my eyes giggling. Sasuke grabbed onto my wrist and lifted me out of my chair. He kissed my neck and whispered

"I think we could do more than twins, don't you, Sakura?" his hot breath against my ear immediately put me into a position of submission. I was blushing furiously, I felt like words were trying to come out but kept getting jumbled.

"I, uhm, if you want to, Sasuke-kun, we can try." My cheeks were burning red, I knew the probability for twins were rare, much less 3 or more. If it happened, I'm pretty sure I would split in half. Oh god, this man is going to kill me!

"I think we can get at least 4 in one shot." Dear god. He's serious. I kissed him gently and started leading him back to our bedroom.

"I'll be happy with whatever we are given, whether it be 1 or 4 or whatever Kami blesses us with. But for now, I want to enjoy my fiancé" I push him onto the bed, crawled on top if him and we started shedding off any remaining clothes, flipping one another in bed, making love well throughout the night. We fell asleep in each others naked embrace.

It was early in the morning, 6am came far too early. I was exhausted still. As I started trying to fall back asleep, Sasuke awoke and started kissing my cheek, his hands traveling across my body. I giggled and kissed his lips sweetly.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun. Sleep well?" he pulled me close and continued to kiss me passionately. I moaned gently but pulled away.

"Sorry Sasuke-kun, I have a few things to do today, but I promise later tonight we will have all the time together you could want." I winked, he smirked and still pulled me in for one last kiss.

"Where are you going?"

While getting myself dressed and ready, I went looking for my Jounin vest. It wont be long until I'll have to retire it. I sighed sadly.

"I need to talk to my team and let them know who will be replacing me." Sasuke nodded and laid back down.

"It's for the best Sakura. You will understand later. Be back by 7pm." I wasn't really convinced but I couldn't give up the only man I've ever loved who would love me. Who else would be willing to deal with a mess of emotions? Exactly. He made a sacrifice being with me and I have to make a sacrifice to show him how grateful I am.

"We are going to miss you, Sakura-sensei!" the blonde haired boy bellowed. It hurts so much to abandon them.

"I will miss you all very much. However, if you would still like some training here and there, let me know! I will be working at the hospital but I could never abandon my students like that. I love you all very much "

Jarusko the blonde haired boy laughed and gave me a hug. Then there was Hidaru, he was a silent guy, ashy brown hair, brown eyes. He simply just nodded in acceptance. Lastly there was Sarada. She had Brown hair and green eyes, much similar to my own. I knew she would be less than thrilled with my announcement, but her outburst had me ill prepared.

I saw her clenching her fists and gritting her teeth.

"You are a traitor." She managed to get out. I was definitely caught off guard.

"Sarada, I-" I reached out for her but she smacked my hand away, looking at me in disgust. I retracted my arm to my chest.

"Everyone always leaves me, why would you have been any different? I never should have had faith in you, _sensei._ " She expressed mockingly.

"Sarada-chan, Sakura-sensei loves us very much. She doesn't want to leave us, she is requested to work for the hospital from now on." Jarusko tried to plead my case, her glares transferred to him.

"How do you know? She's a ninja, she could lie straight to your face and you would never know it; but I know. You can't lie to me sensei, if you want to just leave, then just… go!"

She yelled in a fury and ran away. My heart was breaking. I never wanted to hurt anyone, I loved my students. Sarada, however, had a special place in my heart. She reminded me of myself, always trying to prove myself and be better. I had to talk to her. One on one.

"Jarusko, Hidaru. I am going to talk to Sarada. But for your knowledge, I have scheduled our last mission together in three days. Be ready at 6am at the gate." I gave them all a hug and then proceeded onto ky search for Sarada.

It didn't take long to sense her trail all the way up to the Hokage mountain. She sat on Tsunade's spot with her knees up to her chest, her face down. I sat down beside her.

"Sarada, please talk to me." I asked in a gentle tone. I could hear her crying. I pulled her into my lapt and held her lovingly. I ran my fingers through her hair to calm her.

"Why does no one want me?" she managed to speak out.

"What do you mean, Sarada?"

She wiped her tears and pulled away.

"Why does no one want me, sensei? Every time someone new comes into my life, they leave just as quickly. Is there something wrong with me? My own father didn't even want me…"

I could relate, somewhat. Sasuke and Naruto leaving to train outside the village and then Kakashi returned to ANBU, leaving me the only active member of Team 7.

"The life of a shinobi is very hard and can be very lonely. Sometimes, loss is more common than gain, all we can do in this life is treasure those we hold close." I tried to explain, but it didn't seem to faze her any.

"Sarada, I understand how it feels to be left behind. It's painful, you always wonder if something you could have done would change things. It took me a while but I learned that other's decisions are not my own. I cannot change anyone who doesn't want to change, all I can do is better myself and hopefully, they will come back on their own."

"What if they never come back?" I looked at her sadly.

"We cannot control every aspect of our lives, including friends, or family. If they are gone forever, we have to move on without them. I don't want you to feel as though I am leaving you, I will always be here for you, if you want to talk or just as a shoulder to cry on. I won't exactly be your team leader anymore, but I will do anything I cam to help you grow to be whatever you want to be."

Her eyes lit up suddenly.

"Do you think I could become Hokage like Tsunade-hime?" I smiled and nodded, hugging her again. She finally hugged me back.

"I believe in your dreams, Sarada-chan."

"Thank you Sakura-sensei. I am sorry for yelling at you." I patted her back and smiled.

"It's okay, Sarada-chan. We should get back home. It's getting late. Would you like me to walk yo home?" she shook her head and started taking off.

"I'll be okay Sakura-sensei! Thank you for being there for me. I appreciate it. Ja ne!" She ran down the mountain quickly. I laughed to myself. She reminded me a lot of myself and even some of Naruto. I didn't even realize the time, it was twenty past seven. I was late. Sasuke is going to be so upset! I quickly made my way back home.

I walked through the door to see candles everywhere lit and leading up to the bedroom. I blushed thinking about how romantic Sasuke was being, he loves me. He really does. I made my way up to the bedroom to see even more candles lit and cherry blossom petals arranged in a heart on our bed, surrounding a letter. It read

 _Be the mother of my children. Tonight._

I felt Sasuke sneak up from behind me, his arms surrounding my body, hands exploring up my shirt and his lips against my neck. I moaned softly. I turned around, face to face with my lover, shirtless and ready to make me his once again. I kissed him passionately and pulled him onto our bed, with him on top of me.

"I love you Sasuke-kun. I would be more than honored to be the mother of your children." He smirked as he kissed and undressed me.

An hour later, we were covered in each other's sweat. Sasuke held me closely in his arms, my head resting on his chest. I lifted to give him a gentle kiss on the lips.

"I love you Sasuke-kun." He kissed me back.

"I love you too, Sakura." I giggled as he started kissing my neck again, definitely wanting to have another round when all of a sudden I heard banging at our door. I tried to look up, but Sasuke pulled my attention back.

"Ignore it. You are all mine tonight." I closed my eyes and continued kissing him until I heard a scream of sheer terror. The voice seemed familiar.

"Sakura-sensei!" I couldn't ignore it any longer, Sarada was calling for me. I had to see what was wrong. I got out of the bed and put on my robe. Sasuke glared at me slightly.

"Who is it, Sakura?" he questioned.

"My student. She needs me right now. I will be right back, I promise." He growled and rolled over on his side to go use the restroom. I rushed to the door to find my student covered in blood. I was not expecting to see this.

"Sarada-chan, what happened?" she was sobbing uncontrollably, paralyzed with fear. I pulled her into the house, I checked to see any open wounds but there were none. I gently cleaned her up with a wet towel. She just couldn't calm down. I held her in my arms tightly, patting her back letting her know it was going to be okay. I am here for her, I will never abandon her. I made a promise.

She eventually calmed down enough to tell me what happened.

"Sarada, whatever it is, you can tell me. I will be here for you no matter what. I promise you." She sniffled and took a deep breath.

"M-my mother…" she trailed. "she killed herself. She's gone. She left me to find her dead! Why did she leave me too?" her sobs returned. I was dumbfounded, for lack of a better word. Immediately sympathetic for her pain, I continued to hold her tightly. I took a breath. I knew what needed to be done. I picked up Sarada and laid her on the couch. I saw a crinkled piece of paper in her pocket.

"Sarada, what is that in your pocket?" she handed it to me. There were traces of blood and water on the note.

 _Sarada, I am sorry to leave you. Remember that you are loved and you will reach your dreams. I will be looking after you from above. Please don't do anything stupid. I love you so much. I wish there was another way, but you must move past your pain to strive for more than I could have ever provided you._

"Sarada… did you see your mother?" she painfully nodded.

"Tell me what you saw. I know this isn't easy, but do your best." Her teeth clenched, she swallowed a sob.

"S-she was in the bathroom. In the bathtub, there was blood everywhere. So much blood! I tried to wake her up but she was gone! So much blood…" she was repeating herself, I cannot imagine the trauma she must have endured. I wish Sasuke could offer her guidance, but he didn't even handle his own tragedy without nearly destroying himself.

I took a gentle sign and I started writing a message to Neji. He was an ANBU captain, but he would also double as cleanup crew for murders and assassinations. I briefly stated the situation and sent the message. He immediately wrote back confirming that he will be addressing the case.

"Sarada, would you like to take a shower? I have some old clothes you can change into afterwards." I offered. She hesitated for a moment but nodded her head. I smiled lightly and showed her the way to the bathroom in the hallway.

"Here are some of my old clothes from when I was your age. If you need anything, let me know, okay?" again she agreed. She went inside the bathroom and started the shower and closed the door, locking it from the inside.

"I will be checking in with you every few minutes Sarada. I just want to make sure you're okay."

"Okay, Sakura-sensei. Thank you…. For being here for me…"

Her shower didn't last long, I showed her to a guest bedroom beside mine. She laid down on the bed and almost immediately fell asleep. She must have been physically and mentally exhausted. I was startled by a message from Neji. I wonder why he would be messaging me again, unless…

 _Sakura. Your presence is needed at the scene. This is not a suicide. Come at once."_

I was taken back at the urgency of his response. I went to my bedroom, Sasuke was reading.

"I was wondering when you would be back." He said frustrated. He's going to be even more annoyed now. Ugh. Troublesome. Damn Shikamaru's influence.

"Sasuke, my student is in the guest room. Her mother just died and Neji has requested me at the scene. I will be right back." I put on my jounin outfit in a hurry.

"Whatever." Was all he said. I sighed and made my way over to Sarada's home. I saw Neji, along with Tenten and Rock Lee. This must have been serious for all three of them to be present.

"Sorry, I got here as quickly as I could."

"Sakura, you need to see this for yourself. This is most definitely not a suicide." I made my way into the home, it was relatively clean aside from the trail of blood leading to what seemed to be the bathroom.

I braced myself and opened the door. I wasn't ready for this. Just as Sarada had exclaimed, there was blood everywhere. Her mother's body was in the tub, her throat cut from ear to ear, she had also been disemboweled, her internal organs exposed and scattered within the tub. I willed myself not to vomit, it was gruesome, so brutal, who would do this to a single mother, a civilian? It didn't make any sense.

I looked around the bathroom to search for any other clues. I happened to notice some silver hair strands by the window in the bathroom. Suspicious, I thought. I collected the strands carefully. I checked the rest of the home, nothing else seemed to be out of order but I will have to check back later. I walked out of the house, confronted by Neji's squad.

"I am not sure who did this, but I collected some evidence within the bathroom. I will do some testing tomorrow." Neji nodded. He commanded her team to start the cleanup process. He stopped me before heading in himself

"Whoever did this, wasn't from this village. It was an outsider. They could be very dangerous and I don't want you wrapped up in any mess." I smiled at Neji. He became so much more… kind? He was less of his broody teenage self, but he was still a force to be reckoned with. I bowed to him before making my way home.

Sarada was still asleep. Thankfully. Sasuke was sitting down on the couch, his arms crossed, nearly asleep. I closed the door and his gaze went straight to me.

"I am sorry Sasuke-kun, Sarada's mother was murdered. I… I had to collect evidence. It was brutal." He sighed and pulled me to the couch and kissed me. I felt tears swelling in my eyes, I explained what I saw to Sasuke. He remained unfazed but still held me against him.

"She's all alone, what can I do? She needs someone to help her through this." I said before a light went off in my brain. What if I…

"Sasuke-kun, I want to adopt Sarada." He looked at me and shook his head.

"No."

"Why not? She needs a mom and a dad, she can even have your name and we can have children and she can help out, and-" he cut me off shortly. I felt even more tears falling

"We do not need this for our family. The amount of baggage she could bring-" this time I cut him off. My tears were now of anger. How dare he talk about baggage?

"Are you serious, Sasuke? You're one to talk about baggage, when you carried yours for over 3 years!" a burning sensation came across my cheek, I winced in pain before looking up at the man I love. He, he slapped me?

He looked at me and then at his open hand, his face distorted into regret and fear. He pulled me in for a hug, I just stared blankly on. I noticed Sarada's face creep but she walked away quickly back into the guest room.

"I am so sorry, Sakura. Please forgive me, I love you. I promise this will never happen again. I am so sorry." He kept apologizing to me over and over again. I had so many thoughts going on in my head, it wasn't long until my inner made her grand reappearance.

" **What are you doing, you moron? Run! Take Sarada and run as far away as you can. This is not the man you love!"** she tried to warn me. It was just an accident. That's it. It's okay, he was just angry, I did cross a line bringing up his defection. I've been hit worse. He didn't mean to.

"Please Sakura, don't leave me. I love you so much, I promise I will never do this again, I was angry, I'm sorry, Sarada can stay, please don't leave." He begged. He was sorry. I know he was, he never begs for anything. It was just an accident.

"Do you love me Sasuke-kun? Promise… you'll never do this again. Please." He kissed me and held me tightly.

"I promise."

I hope this was a good starting point. As I previously stated, this story will hit close to home to some, including myself. I tried to make this seem realistic and drew from my own life experiences. Feel free to review and/or message me with questions or comments. I'll answer anonymous reviews in the next chapter. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you will enjoy this newly rewritten TBCB! See ya!

Miyaka Hana


	2. The Mission

Author note: I hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter. I am quite rusty when it comes to writing and portraying some things the way I mean. I'm sure you noticed it was all in Sakura's POV. Not sure how many people prefer that over the traditional 3rd person, but I will try to change it up a bit.

I do have a slight announcement regarding the pairing. It will not be ItaSaku. Maybe some fluff here and there but it will be _mostly_ platonic. I have decided that GaaSaku will work best within the context of this story. I apologize if you are disappointed, but I will make sure that this story will be well worth your time! I have planned a majority of it already, if I were to guess how many chapters there will be, I would say close to 35, unless I get carried away. Hehe. This chapter includes some depictions of rape and suicide. Read with caution.

Without further adieu, let this chapter begin!

The Bloody Cherry Blossom

Chapter two: The Mission

I awoke abruptly as the sunlight peered through the curtains. Sasuke was gone, probably a last minute mission. I was in the living room, on the couch, trying to remember what had happened the previous night until I was reminded by the pain across my face.

I found my way to the bathroom and took a look at myself in the mirror. I cringed at the bruised figure of a hand on my cheek. The residual pain wasn't much but he left his mark as a reminder. He said he was sorry, he didn't mean to do it. I gently sighed and began healing the bruise. No one needed to know.

"S-Sakura-sensei?" I remembered her face. I came out of the bathroom and saw Sarada just quietly standing there. I smiled at her.

"How did you sleep, Sarada-chan? Would you like some breakfast." She seemed to have something to say but dismissed it and nodded.

"I slept well, thank you sensei. I guess I am a little hungry…" as if on cue, her stomach growled and I giggled lightly and walked her to the kitchen table.

"Would you like an omelet? You can help me make some." She grinned and nodded. She rose from her seat and awaited for instructions.

"Alright, grab two eggs from the fridge and some bell peppers, cilantro, and carrots. Have you ever made an omelet before?" she shamefully shook her head.

"It's okay, I can teach you! You know, I wasn't very good at cooking when I was your age too. My sensei actually taught me how in case he wouldn't be there. My teammates were very appreciative that I could feed them something more than oatmeal." I laughed to myself. Sarada looked at me and smiled.

"Can you tell about when you were a genin? All your missions and your teammates? Were they like Hidaru and Jarusko?" whilst multitasking I began to reminisce of the old days of when I was just some fan girl for Sasuke, and the times where I broke out of that case and become my own person. A real shinobi.

"Well, I think that Jarusko and Hidaru are similar to Naruto, but not really similar to Sasuke. Sasuke… was the problematic teammate." I laughed to myself as I was chopping the veggies for the omelets. I cracked an egg over the hot sauce pan and waited a minute before adding the ingredients.

"Was he mean to you when you were younger?" she asked cryptically. I knew what she was picking at. I sighed but didn't deny.

"I wasn't the same person I am now that I was back then. I was actually really mean to Naruto, and regrettably, my own best friend Ino. Because we both had feelings for Sasuke, I insisted we become rivals and ended our friendship. "

"Your turn to make an omelet Sarada-chan." She took the lead and copied my instructions.

"Eventually, I made amends with Naruto and with Ino. I worked my way to becoming the better person I knew I could be. It wasn't easy but I earned everyone's respect, even Sasuke which was what I wanted. After he returned to Konoha, he told me he loved me and we've been together ever since."

Sarada finished making her omelet and beamed with pride. We took our plates to the table and began eating.

"Sakura-sensei, did you mean what you said last night? I paused for a moment. "About… adopting me? Taking me in?" I smiled sadly and finished my omelet and put my plate in the sink.

"I did. I want nothing more than to help you grow up and make your dreams come true. No matter what it takes." Sarada finished her plate and set it in the sink as well.

"Even though Sasuke-sama doesn't want me?" I could feel the pain return. Her pain is my pain. If I had to fight to take that pain away, I will hold myself to that promise.

"Sasuke is a very traditional person, and he is still learning how to express his feelings in a healthy way. It's not that he doesn't want you, he is just afraid, I think." I tried to explain, but I am sure she wasn't convinced.

Suddenly, a knock at the door. I opened it to see Neji in his full ANBU gear. He handed me a note and darted off. I opened the note and carefully read.

 _Sakura, bring Sarada and come immediately._

 _Kakashi_

"Sarada, time to get dressed. I washed your clothes last night. The Hokage has requested to see us." She nodded and quickly dressed herself. I wrote a note for Sasuke and left it on the table if he happened to come home and wonder my whereabouts.

X

"Hello Sakura, Sarada-chan." Kakashi greeted us. We bowed respectfully.

"What is it that you wished to speak to us about?" Sarada looked nervous, looking around constantly. Kakashi noticed. He prompted his guards to leave the room before casting a silent barrier over the room.

"Sakura, Neji informed me of the events that transpired last night. Have you had the time to analyze the sample you collected?" I briefly nodded.

"Yes, however, the results were inconclusive. It seems that it was planted there by the assailant knowing we would be unable to track the dna. I will see if we can do some more tests, but that would take much longer." Kakashi sighed but nodded nonetheless. His attention went to Sarada.

"How is Sarada doing? I see you've taken her in" I smiled.

"I have. I actually wanted to speak about taking full guardianship of Sarada until she is self dependent." Kakashi smiled through his mask and nodded his head.

"That would be very selfless of you, Sakura. I expect nothing less from my favorite student." I laughed light heartedly. Sarada still seemed quiet and nervous.

"Sarada, would you like for Sakura to be your legal guardian?" she paused for a moment but smiled.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Sakura-sensei wants me to grow up and achieve my dreams… I know that she loves me and will do anything to make me happy."

It made my heart grow hearing her talk about me so fondly. I am going to be a mother, I am going to help her grow up and be the woman she dreams to be.

"I suppose it is settled then. I just need Sakura to sign a few things for me, and it will be officially at the beginning of next week. Before you both leave, I would like to speak with Sakura alone." Sarada smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Sakura, with the sample you collected, you could not extract DNA? Do you have the sample with you?" thankfully I had it on me. I had a feeling he would have some questions on why the results were inconclusive.

"It seems it was soaked within a protective layer that mutates the dna thus making it untraceable." Kakashi thought for a moment.

"Seems strange. Not many nins would know how to mutate DNA. Seems like only an experienced medic would be capable of pulling off such a feat." A lightbulb went off in my head.

"Kabuto." Kakashi's demeanor changed drastically.

"What would Orochimaru or Kabuto want with a civilian woman? That seems extremely suspicious. Was there any other evidence at the scene?"

"Sarada said she found this note, but I haven't analyzed it yet." Kakashi sighed and turned around in his chair and stared out the window.

"Sakura, do you remember what I'd say about looking under the underneath?" I nodded my head and took a close look at the note.

"Kakashi, I think there is a message hidden within the note. I don't even think Sarada's mother wrote it."

"Decode it immediately"

 _ **Sarada**_ _, I am sorry to_ _ **leave**_ _you. Remember that you are loved and you will reach your dreams. I_ _ **will**_ _be looking after you from above. Please don't do anything stupid. I_ _ **love**_ _you so much. I wish there was another way, but_ _ **you**_ _must move past your_ _ **pain**_ _to_ _ **strive**_ _ **for**_ _more than I could have ever provided you._

I tried to piece together what I was looking at. It was so cryptically written, it could be just mere coincidence but with the case we have it couldn't be ruled out. I put all the key words together, piecing them into the most coherent message I could until it all came together.

"Strive for love, you will leave pain." it doesn't make sense. What does it mean? It was addressed to Sarada. Strive for love you will leave pain…

"what do you think it means Kakashi?" it felt as if we stared at the piece of paper for hours straight.

"It's a warning, Sakura." Why would Kabuto be warning a little girl? Why would he kill her mother? Just one answer made several new questions.

"What should we do, Kakashi?" I was worried for Sarada's safety.

"For now, nothing. We need more information before I can do anything such as restrictions or protection. Just keep an eye on Sarada and anything suspicious or out of the ordinary." I bowed in agreement. Walking myself out, Kakashi stopped me for one last thing.

"Do not let Sasuke know about this. He may act irrationally." I nodded and smiled.

"Thank you Kakashi, ja ne."

 **X**

Sarada was outside playing with Akamaru, Ino and Kiba stood aside watching her.

"Sorry for taking so long Sarada. Kakashi-sama needed to go over a few things with me. Would you like to do a little bit of shopping? I know your clothes are back home but they are still doing an investigation and you cant go inside we can grab you a few new outfits and whatever else you would like."

"Thanks for watching Sarada for me you two." Ino grinned, Kiba merely nodded.

"Not a problem forehead! What did you need to talk to the Hokage for anyways?" I smiled and looked at Sarada.

"I am going to adopt Sarada-chan." I announced. Sarada giggled happily and rushed over to hug my side. Ino smiled and gently laughed

"That's great news! Is Sasuke-kun excited?" our smiles distorted instinctively. "He wasn't exactly thrilled but I think he just needs some time to warm up to it."

"Oh, I see. I'm sure he will come around. Plus, you'll have a babysitter whenever you two start having babies! Sarada-chan will be an awesome big sister." Sarada laughed and gave Ino a tight hug before we started making our way back home.

"Thanks for the chat, Ino-pig! We'll talk later!"

"Sakura-sensei? What did Hokage-sama want to talk to you about? With the barrier and stuff, is it something serious?"

I lightly nodded. Sarada sighed and lowered her head sadly. I patted her back and smiled at her reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Sarada-chan. Everything will be fine." Suddenly, both our stomachs started growling. I laughed and Sarada blushed.

"Would you like to go grab some ramen at Ichiraku's?" she nodded excitedly as we headed over.

"Hello Sakura-chan! Sarada-chan! What can we get cha today?" Ayame greeted us happily. We promptly sat down at the bar.

"Two miso ramens please! How is your father doing? Is he taking the medicine I prescribed?" Ayame called out our order to the back of the house and brought us a glass of water

"He is doing better, he just ran out of his medicine and he hasn't had a chance to run to the pharmacy for a refill. He has a small cold and with me running the place now and my cousin taking care of him, some things have been a bit hectic."

"Oh no, well, I'd be more than happy to bring his medicine to him if you want! We know life can be busy at times, I don't mind making some time to make sure you all have everything you need."

Ayame looked so happily relieved. She took over the shop after Teuchi had a heart attack a year ago. I was his doctor and helped him throughout his recovery. I took great pride in what I accomplished in the hospital.

Tsunade offered me a lead doctor position at the hospital when I made Jounin, but I turned it down to be assigned my own team of genin; and now, I'll be returning. Unsure what position, I will have to talk to Tsunade whenever I get the chance.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-chan! Here are your meals, and they're both on the house."

"Oh, Ayame-chan, you don't have to!" she smiled at us both.

"I insist! You have been a blessing to our family, it is only fair." We thanked her again and finished our noodles before leaving.

"Thank you again Ayame-chan! I'll be by tomorrow to bring Teuchi-san's medicine. I'll be bringing a month supply since my team and I will be gone for a little while."

"Thank you again! You all have a good mission!"

We made our way home about half past twelve. I started packing our bags for the mission tomorrow. It was a simple escort mission, we were supposed to pick up a gentleman from Iwagakure and escort him to Sunagakure.

"Sakura-sensei? Is this going to be a hard mission?" I shook my head and smiled.

"Harder than what you're used to, maybe; but definitely nothing too difficult. It's an escort mission. Even if we run into some trouble it will be nothing that I can't handle." Sarada let out a sigh of relief and gave me a hug.

"I'm glad you're my sensei, Sakura-sensei." I kissed her forehead.

"I know I can never replace your mother, but I will do everything in my power to give you everything she wished she could have provided."

She let out some tears of happiness and I held her in my arms tightly, not letting go for at least a couple minutes. I loved my student dearly, well, all of them but Sarada just reminded me so much of myself, I want to be the sensei I wish I had.

Kakashi was a good sensei in some ways, but he was never there for me like he was with Naruto or especially Sasuke. I never resented him for it, though. I knew that my skills were not what he specialized in and he just didn't know how to guide me like he could with the boys.

Whenever Sasuke and Naruto first left, I was very lucky that Tsunade accepted my request to train as her apprentice. Without her guidance, I'm not sure if I would be the person that I am today. She helped me recognize my strengths and weaknesses, and how to use my fighting style on the field and in the hospital as a medic.

The rest of the day went by rather quickly, Sasuke didn't really leave a note on his whereabouts, but I made just enough food for a plate for him if he managed to come home tonight. I wish he would be more open and communicative. Beggars can't be choosers, though, right? I should be grateful that he is in my life. I don't need to complain on the small things so much.

Sarada and I ate a nice dinner consisting of Katsu pork and a side of sticky white rice. We saved a plate for Sasuke in the fridge. It was very delicious, and Sarada even got to help me cook it. I enjoyed teaching her domestic things just as much as things for her title of kunoichi. I just… I love helping others learn and better themselves. I just want to help those be the people they dream about being.

Suddenly, Sasuke walked through the door dirty and bleeding. I rushed over to him and tried healing the first open wound I found.

"Sasuke-kun, what happened? Come, sit down." I helped him to our couch. Sarada was still at the table, quiet as a mouse.

"I was ambushed at my destination. They were all at least a rank ninja, no sign of affiliation." I finished healing his shoulder and moved towards his back, where several stab wounds resided.

"Are you hungry Sasuke-kun? We made you a plate, you can eat while I finish healing you." He simply nodded and Sarada took the cue to start warming up his meal to present it to him quickly. He ate in silence while I finished any injuries he may have abstained throughout his mission.

Sarada took her plate and mine and began washing dishes. As soon as Sasuke was finished with his meal, Sarada took it and washed it as well then cleaned the table off and went straight to her room. I could tell she was trying very hard to have Sasuke like her and want her around. He was the second chance for a father she could get, and she didn't want to be without one again.

I finally finished healing all of Sasuke's wounds and felt him lay against me. I smiled and moved to kiss his forehead, he extended his arm to pull me into his lips.

I closed my eyes and kissed him passionately.

"Make love to me, Sakura."

"I would love to, but I have to wake up early tomorrow for a mission." He pushed me away and walked his way to our bedroom. I could tell he was aggravated. Maybe I should? He had a rough day, he needs me and I pushed him away. I need to stop being so selfish. I sighed sadly.

I walked to our room and saw Sasuke lying in bed on his side, attempting to fall asleep. I stripped all my clothes and climbed into bed with him, and pulled him into my chest, my fingers through his hair, pulling his hair playfully. I felt him smirk against my breasts and he flipped on top of me and began kissing my neck, causing me to moan his name softly. I definitely was not going to get any sleep tonight.

I woke up exhausted. I knew I would have been, but I cannot deprive my husband to be, the love of my life. I took some caffeine supplements, to give me the small boost of energy I needed to get up and going. Thankfully, I had both mine and Sarada's pouches packed the night before and all we had to do was wake up, eat and get dressed and we'd be ready to go. I made some breakfast quickly for Sarada and I. I prepared some pancakes, even a couple for Sasuke whenever he woke up.

Sarada and I ate breakfast and got dressed and were ready to go. I left a note for Sasuke to remind him of our mission. _The last mission I will have._ I thought sadly.

Jarusko and Hidaru were there promptly as asked. I smiled, my team and I were going on our first and last c rank mission together. I opened the scroll and reminded them of our goal and any other details that pertained to the mission statement. We left through the gates and traveled our way to Iwagakure. It took a couple days to get there due to some storms, but we made it through finely. The gentleman we were sent to escort was at the front of the village gates.

"About time you arrived, I've been waiting here for 2 hours." He said, aggravated. I bowed in respect, the children followed in.

"I apologize, Tenshu-san. We experienced some storms traveling, but we will make sure that your travel will be as quick and safe as possible." He nodded and started walking towards Sunagakure.

He was relatively quiet, Jarusko tried to make some jokes along the way to pass the time, and maybe make the man a little more comfortable, but to no avail.

"I thought I hired ninja, not a wannabe comedian." Jarusko apologized and became quiet. We were about halfway to Suna, when the man demanded we stop.

"Is everything okay, Tenshu-san?" I asked. I looked to my students, they seemed nervous and on edge. Suddenly, a huge sound wave pulsed through the air.

"Everyone, get behind me! Now!" I got myself ready for any sign of attack. Tenshu stood in place and then began chuckling. The sound waves continued to fill the air, becoming even more aggressive. Tenshu's appearance then began to warp until a man with silver hair and glasses stood aside.

"Kabuto." He continued cackling and adjusted his glasses. His attention went to Sarada. I glared at him and held her back.

"Oh, my. Sakura-chan. How have you grown. It seems you have taken an interest in my daughter." My eyes widened and I felt Sarada push away.

"F-father?" she called out, her voice trembling. He smirked and nodded. He held his arms out for her.

"Come, hug your father."

"Don't go to him, Sarada. You stay back here." I ordered her. She looked conflicted. The sound waves died down until all that was heard was the sand running with the wind.

"Come here, my daughter. Is this how you treat your father?" Jarusko pulled out from behind me and threw a shuriken towards him, which he of course dodged.

"You're a shitty excuse for a father! Where were you when she needed you?" he laughed. I growled.

"Jarusko! You need to stand back! Kabuto is no one to mess with. You all need to leave and go straight to Suna and alert the Kazekage!" They stood stiff for a moment. Sarada looked at me and then at Kabuto.

"It's an order! Go!" I yelled at them all, Jarusko and Hidaru started to run away but 3 sound ninjas blocked their way.

"No one will leave here uninjured, Sakura-chan." Kabuto laughed.

"Come back you two. If I have to die protecting you all, that is what I will have to do." I gulped, thinking of what to do next. Sarada started walking towards Kabuto slowly.

"Sarada, stay here!" She was crying. Kabuto held his arms and pulled Sarada in and stroked her hair. She started sobbing. The sand nins began to surround us. Jarusko and Hidaru stood behind me, back to back, trying to cover any openings. I had to think quickly.

"Sarada-chan, did you like your present? Wasn't your mother just beautiful?" Sarada tensed up and looked into her father's eyes. She tried to pull away but could no longer move.

"Sakura-sensei! I, I can't move! Help me!" She was sobbing uncontrollably. I glared at Kabuto.

"What did you do to her?! Leave her alone!" I yelled angrily. Why is he here, what is his plan?

He sneered and then began to caress Sarada's shoulders sensually, her eyes widened in fear before more tears aggressively formed.

"Sarada-chan is going to be my new vessel, this body is getting a little too… old, and frail. Not as useful as a young, still developing body, wouldn't you say?" I charged at Kabuto, chakra radiating from my fists.

"Leave her be, you sick bastard! She does not deserve your filthy influence." Kabuto held her stiff body against his while she continued to cry.

Jarusko and Hidaru were now fighting against the sound ninjas, I could tell they were trying their best, but the sound ninjas were much more experienced. The strongest sound wave then blew through the air, Jarusko and Hidaru fell to the ground, grasping their ears and screaming in pain. There was massive amounts of blood coming out of both their ears.

"Jarusko! Hidaru!" I called out, they made no response to my voice. Their ear drums must have exploded. This is bad, this is really… really bad. I didn't know what to do.

"Let my team go, Kabuto!" He signaled the sound ninja to fall back and leave.

"Those two," he pointed at Jarusko and Hidaru. "They can leave, if they can find their way out of the desert." He snickered. I rushed over to Hidaru, he knew the direction to Suna and he would be able to carry Jarusko. I healed him, and waited a moment for him to regain consciousness. I tried to speak, but he still could not understand a word I was saying. I feared he may be permanently deaf. I signed to him to run off to Suna with Jarusko and get help. Immediately. He nodded his head as he picked up Jarusko and ran off as fast as he could. My attention was back to a nearly unconscious Sarada and Kabuto.

"What do I have to do to have you let Sarada go?" he looked at her, and then at me.

"Well, I wasn't planning on letting either of you go." I growled and kept chasing after him, my fists inflamed with chakra. He carried Sarada close to his body, taunting me. I looked around for any openings.

"You can't escape me, Sakura-chan." Suddenly, he was behind me, and I felt a sharp pain against my spine. I turned around, face to face.

"What did you do to me?!" My body went limp, I fell to the ground, with no control over my muscles. 'This is bad, what the hell am I going to do? I can't even protect my students! What kind of sensei am I?" I sulked.

Kabuto dropped Sarada beside me, I saw her regain consciousness, but she had little to no strength from what I could tell. I felt so tired.

"Sakura-chan, Sarada-chan. You both have been rendered helpless, will you fight for your lives, or will one sacrifice for the other?" Sarada was crying, she cannot suffer this much so soon. She… she is going to be my daughter. As a mother, I must sacrifice for her. I love her.

"Kabuto… Leave Sarada alone, I will do whatever you ask of me. Just-just let her go." I begged. He laughed at me and kicked my stomach. I seethed in pain.

"If you wish, Sakura-chan, but Sarada will bear witness to your sacrifice. Everything comes with a price" He knelt down and with kunai in hand, he cut through my shirt and chest bindings. I braced myself and looked at Sarada.

"Sarada, listen to me. Whatever happens, you will stay strong, you are important to me and I will do whatever I can to protect you. I love you as my own daughter. Don't blame yourself for anything." Her eyes filled with tears and I could hear her sobs.

"Oh, how noble of you, Sakura-chan. Claiming a broken child as she watches you sacrifice your body." His hands were everywhere, I merely closed my eyes, trying not to look him in his eyes.

He stabbed my shoulder, blood pooling over my body. I screamed in pain.

"You will look at me as I take you away from your precious Sasuke-kun." I did as told, everyone has to make a sacrifice for the ones they love.

 **X**

"Kazekage-sama! There are two boys outside the gate, demanding they speak to you, they claim it is urgent." Gaara nodded his head, signaling to allow them access.

"Bring them at once. Thank you Niko-san." Gaara looked out the window, just looking over his village. Thinking of how far he had come in the past ten years.

A knock at the door, alerted Gaara. It must be the two boys.

"Come in." the two boys, dirty and injured came in urgently.

"Kazekage-sama, we need your help! My team and I were on a mission, and then we were ambushed by sound ninja! My sensei told me to take my teammate and run here to ask for your help immediately! My other teammate and sensei are still there! Please help!" The blonde haired boy exclaimed.

"Give me your names, and the names of your teammates. I will send someone immediately." Gaara replied plainly.

"Jarusko is me, Hidaru," Jarusko pointed to the brown haired boy. "Is him. Our teammates are Sarada and our sensei is Sakura Haruno." Gaara's eye twitched.

"Did the assailants give any names?" Hidaru chided in,

"One went by the name of Kabuto. Sakura-sensei said he is no one to take lightly." Gaara feared the worst.

"Baki, get Kankurou, Temari, and Matsuri. Send them immediately. Treat this as a rescue mission" Gaara ordered, Baki did as told, Gaara sighed and put his face into his palms.

"You boys may leave. Niko-san, will you make arrangements for them to stay at the hospital for treatment?" Niko bowed and escorted the boys out. Gaara opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a picture of he and Sakura. They grew very close after she had came to his aid and saved his brother's life from the Akatsuki.

He sighed yet again and put the picture back in it's place.

"Please be alright, Sakura…"

 **X**

"Temari-senpai! I think I see something!" Matsuri called out. The approached the area and saw two bodies, one sprawled out on their stomach, and completely undressed. They then saw pink. Temari grit her teeth, took a deep breath and released.

They picked up Sarada's fully clothed body, she was unconscious, but no serious sign of injury. Sakura, on the other hand, was obviously in severe trauma. Matsuri briefly checked over Sakura's wounds and then grabbed a blanket out of her medical bag to wrap around Sakura's exposed body.

"How bad, Matsuri?" Temari asked. She shook her head. She seemed to be trying to speak, but could not find the words to explain.

"It… She, she has been assaulted. I made sure to grab samples, and already used emergency contraceptive, but… She is in rough shape." Kankurou shook his head and clenched his fists.

"The sick bastard who did this to her will pay." He vowed. He carried Sakura's now covered body, and Temari carried Sarada's. It was a very quiet trip back.

 **X**

"Temari, do you have your mission statement ready?" she nodded and handed it in promptly. Gaara read quickly and then looked back up Temari. Temari's fists were clenched, her teeth grinding against one another. She took a deep breath.

"The other genin was in in decent shape, she was poisoned, but no lasting physical damage." she paused.

"And, Sakura?" Gaara pressed on. Temari clenched her fists. She looked Gaara in the eyes.

"She… she was raped, Gaara." He felt his heart sting.

"Can you tell me… is she going to be okay?" Gaara's voice cracked. Temari turned around to avoid showing any emotion to her younger brother

"I-I don't know, Gaara… Matsuri checked her over, she said… she was brutally assaulted. Multiple stab wounds, her genitals were mutilated, she was strangled with her own underwear." Gaara put his face into the palms of his hands.

"Even if she recovers physically, there is no telling the emotional trauma she has suffered. We must alert Konoha immediately, and maybe ask for Tsunade-sama to come and take a look for herself. Matsuri did all she could, but she isn't as experienced in this type of… trauma." Gaara looked out his window and sighed. He turned back around and wrote a quick note.

 **X**

 _Hokage-Sama_

 _It is in our deepest worries that we must call upon the help of Tsunade-sama to Sunagakure. We have had an incident with Team 13, Consisting of Jarusko Sato, Hidaru Takanami, Sarada Namura, and their Team Captain, Sakura Haruno. We request immediate help as Sakura Haruno is in critical condition. Thank you._

 _Kazekage,_

 _Gaara_

"Shikamaru! Bring Tsunade-sama and Sasuke here at once!" Within a second Shikamaru disappeared without a trace. Kakashi kept reading the letter over and over again.

' _Please be okay, Sakura. You are a strong girl, you will make it."_ Kakashi prayed to himself. Almost immediately, Tsunade barged in and were followed by Sasuke and Naruto. Kakashi sighed.

"What has happened to my student!" Tsunade roared.

"Is Sakura-chan okay?" Naruto cried, Tsunade hit him over the head.

"This is why she should have retired already, now she's in trouble and I can't protect her." Sasuke stated angrily. Tsunade looked at Sasuke with eyes of rage.

"Sakura will retire whenever she is ready! You should be a good husband and support her like she does you! You ungrateful brat!" Kakashi covered his ears, annoyed with all the noise. As Shikamaru would say, _troublesome._

"Alright, everyone. Silent!" Kakashi hollered." Everyone ceased their bickering, but Tsunade glared at Sasuke angrily and he did so back.

"Naruto, you weren't called here. This only was to pertain to Tsunade, and I only invited Sasuke since he is engaged to Sakura; however, you'll bug me constantly so I'll just send you along for my own sanity." Naruto grinned.

"What is wrong with Sakura, Kakashi? Did Gaara explain her condition?" Kakashi shook his head.

"He only stated her condition was critical. He didn't speak of her teammates, so I can only assume their injuries were minimal, which I would fully expect from Sakura as their captain. I ask that you all pack immediately and leave as soon as possible. I will send a response to Gaara to let him know that you will all be on your way. Leave, now." They did as told, Shikamaru being the last one present.

"Kakashi, are you sure it is wise to send our 3 strongest shinobi out of the village while the Akatsuki are still prevalent?" Kakashi looked at the shadow master and raised his shoulders.

"Probably not, but they would have left on their own accord if they knew of Sakura's condition. At least they are all able to protect one another together. We can only hope for the best." Shikamaru nodded in agreement and left the room, leaving Kakashi to his thoughts.

 **X**

"I told her to stop this nonsense and retire. She could still work at the damn hospital to appease her need to help others." Sasuke said irritated. Tsunade clenched her fists and hit Sasuke in the back of his head, earning a hateful response.

"What the hell is your problem? It's because of this, she thinks she can be a ninja and captain and now look at her, who knows what happened to her."

"Sakura worked her ass off to make herself stronger and to prove to you and herself that she isn't useless, which you just so _conveniently_ forget you told her she was when she was a teenager! Do you realize how damn hard it was to teach someone with such low expectations for themselves because the one person they wanted to gain approval from would only see her as a hindrance? You should be thankful she even gave you a chance! If it were up to me, your ass would have been rotting in prison for as long as your miserable life allowed."

"She kind of has a point, teme," Sasuke glared at Naruto, to which he responded in silence.

"It doesn't matter now, Sakura is hurt and here we are to pick up the pieces." Tsunade really hated Sasuke and his selfish way of thinking. She didn't want him back after he had been corrupted by Orochimaru and his henchmen. Sakura pleaded with her to spare Sasuke's life to which she reluctantly agreed.

Truth be told, she would have rather Sakura give Naruto a chance, at least he would do anything to make her happy and wouldn't try to kill or hurt her physically or emotionally. The bickering ensued all the way to Sunagakure. Naruto stuck in the middle of the two exchanging verbal blows. He wonders how Sakura managed to deal with this.

After hours of walking, they finally arrived at the gates of Suna, Temari waiting for them at the entrance. The verbal feud between Tsunade and Sasuke was placed on hold. Tsunade ran into the village and straight to the hospital to tend to her ill student. Sakura may have surpassed her some years ago, but there were still some things she has yet to teach her.

"Temari-san, do you know what happened to Sakura-chan?" Temari sighed sadly and signaled for Naruto and Sasuke to follow.

They quickly arrived into Gaara's office, he was filling out paperwork accordingly when they walked into his office.

"Gaara! Is Sakura-chan okay? What happened?!" Gaara sighed. He should have known better that Naruto would be at the frontlines if he heard Sakura was hurt. Even if he was married now, Sakura was his friend and he never lets his friends suffer in silence.

Gaara then looked up to Sasuke. He knew that Sasuke and Sakura were engaged to be married, he couldn't understand why Sakura would give him another chance after all the pain and destruction he made her endure. Love is bliss, he thought. He simply pulled out a folder and put it on top of his desk and pushed it forward to Naruto and Sasuke.

"This is her medical file for this visit. Be wary, it is nothing you are accustomed to." Sasuke, annoyed, grabs the file and looks through it accordingly. His grip loosens then grows tighter, his anger rising.

"Is this some kind of joke?" he threw the file to the ground. Gaara looked at him blankly. Naruto was in the dark, picking up the file to read for himself.

 **Medical File #254321**

 **Patient: Haruno Sakura**

 **Condition: Critical Condition**

 **Diagnosis: Rape and Assault**

 **Symptoms: Asphyxiation, Stab wounds, Genital Mutilation**

 **Suspect: Kabuto Yakushi**

Naruto looked up at Gaara, tears swelling in his eyes.

"Gaara, is, is this for real? Is she okay?" Gaara slowly nodded his head. Sasuke stood there silently, basking in his own anger and rage.

"Niko-san, get Kankurou. Have him look over the office for me. I am going to visit Sakura-san." Niko bowed and did as told.

Sasuke and Naruto followed Gaara's lead to the hospital. Once they got there, they saw Tsunade and Sakura's beaten body on a stretcher, heading for the operating room. Sasuke tried to follow, but Tsunade gave him a death glare, warning him to stay away.

Jarusko, Hidaru and Sarada came out of a room together, now fully healed. They all looked to see Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara standing there, hoping to have seen Sakura. Sarada started crying, Jarusko and Hidaru held her tightly.

"It's all my fault, he, he hurt her because of me! She wanted to protect me, and I couldn't do anything but watch." Sasuke walked over to Sarada and looked down on her and smacked her across the face.

"I knew you would be trouble, you brat. Damn Sakura for taking your worthless life seriously." Jarusko stood in front of Sarada and Hidaru consoled Sarada. Naruto and Gaara intervened, Gaara especially glaring down the young Uchiha.

"You will not harm anyone in my presence, Uchiha. Do that again, and I won't be afraid to revoke your visitation rights."

"Yeah, teme, what is your problem!? Sarada feels bad enough for what happened, she doesn't need your bullshit to deal with too!" Sasuke scoffed and walked away, to the exit of the hospital.

"Where do you think you are going, Uchiha? You are not to be left alone in my village. You may have been pardoned within your own country, but this is my world. You are not nearly as welcome here." Sasuke growled.

"What do you expect I do then, Kazekage-sama?" Gaara looked him dead in the face, and pointed to a chair.

"You sit and wait for Sakura, as she has waited for you. I assume that her surgery and recovery will take some time, you will wait for Tsunade-sama to give her blessing to see her." Gaara walked towards the exit but looked back at Naruto and Sasuke, they sat down, patiently waiting to see Sakura again.

 **X**

 _Pain. Pain everywhere. I cannot scream anymore, I cannot cry anymore. I turned my head to the side for a moment to see my student's tear filled face. She was no longer conscious, I turned my head back, facing Kabuto. He was dressing himself and then spat on my face._

 _He then bent down between and looked me in my eyes and brought out a rusted kunai._

" _I almost forgot to give Sasuke-kun a lasting present." The pain between my legs grew stronger, now unbearable. I tried to scream but only found myself falling into the darkness. I was too weak… I don't want to wake up. I am worthless now._

 **X**

Tsunade and a group of nurses brought out Sakura's body on a stretcher out of the operating room. Alerting both Sasuke and Naruto of their presence, she ordered the nurses send Sakura to a recovery room.

Sasuke and Naruto rose from their seats and approached Tsunade. She promptly walked over to a chair and sat down exhausted.

"Tsunade-Baachan, is Sakura-chan going to be okay?" Tsunade sighed but gave a faint nod. Naruto and Sasuke started to walk to Sakura's room but Tsunade stopped them.

"Sakura needs to rest. Give her a few hours to sleep and wake up on her own, or so help me, both of you will be admitted and I will not heal either one of you." Naruto gulped and Sasuke rolled his eyes but complied.

 **X**

"Gaara, Sakura just came out of surgery, did you want to go see her?" Gaara looked at his older sister and nodded.

"I'll stand watch up here, just let me know how she is doing when you get back, okay? Gaara thanked his sister and headed to the hospital. He saw Sasuke, Naruto and Tsunade sitting down in the waiting room resting. Sasuke awoke to his presence and glared.

"No one is seeing Sakura before me, I don't care if you are the Kazekage, she is my wife."

"Fiancé" Gaara corrected, only to receive a snarl.

"You seem to forget who you are talking to, Uchiha. You will show me respect or you will not see her. She does not need your negative attitude in her condition." Tsunade stepped in between them both, annoyed of both of their incessant arguing.

"I determine when Sakura is going to see anyone, and I will only allow one person in with me at a time. Since Gaara is the kage, and he is more tolerable than you," implying Sasuke, "He will come in with me first. You and Naruto may stand outside of the room and I will call for the next person whenever Sakura is ready."

Gaara and Tsunade walked into the room, closing the door shut behind them. They saw Sakura awake but deep in thought. She looked up to see them and sighed, laying her head back down.

"Sakura, can you tell me how you're feeling?" Sakura looked away but then saw Gaara by her side. He held her hand in his, and patted her head gently.

"I'm in so much pain, shishou… Can you tell me, did Kabuto…?" Tsunade looked down.

"Sakura, I did all that I could, but I'm afraid that your ability to bear children… may have been ultimately lost. If you were to get pregnant, the chances at the fetus' survival is 20% at most and you will need surgery to give birth. I am sorry." Sakura felt tears piling up in her eyes, a sob left her lips. She pulled Gaara close and starting crying into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. His heart was aching for her, he knew she had always wanted to be a mother, Sasuke's past came back to take that dream away from her.

Gaara noticed bright red eyes, peeking through the window of the hospital door. He paid no mind, Sasuke was partly to blame, if it weren't for him, Kabuto wouldn't hurt Sakura as a means to hurt Sasuke. He is the cause of her pain and misfortune.

Sakura's cries eventually got softer and she fell back asleep. Gaara tried to lay her back on the bed but she held onto his arm tightly, opening her eyes slightly, pleading.

"Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone."

He couldn't say no. Tsunade raised an eyebrow but smiled. She brought a chair to Sakura's bedside for Gaara.

"Take care of her Gaara. I will let the other two in while she sleeps. If they start getting too loud, send them out. She needs her rest and I will be taking a nap for myself. Healing her has exhausted most of my chakra and dealing with Sasuke has certainly exhausted my patience."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I am in debt to you for what you have done for Sakura. I just hope she will be able to recover and live her life as if nothing had happened." She merely nodded, and opened the door, allowing Naruto and Sasuke to enter.

"Sakura is resting, if you wake her up, I will give Gaara full permission to punish you as he deems fit. Do not test me." Tsunade warned, closing the door, leaving the three men and Sakura alone. Sasuke looked at Sakura, who was still clinging onto Gaara's arm as she peacefully slept.

"How is she doing Gaara? What did Tsunade-baachan say?" Naruto asked, trying to ease the tension. Gaara nodded his head once.

"Tsunade-sama stated her condition. Sakura must rest so please remain to a dull roar. If anyone wakes her up, you will be escorted out and you will not be allowed back in for a period of time, which will be set by Tsunade-sama herself."

Naruto nodded and went to Sakura's bedside, opposite of Gaara.

"Is there any lasting damage, Gaara? Is she going to be okay?" Gaara froze for a moment.

"Tsunade-sama did all that she could, there will be some ever lasting damage, including mental health. Her ability to bear children has been greatly impaired." Sasuke glared and ran over to Sakura's side, beside Gaara.

"What do you mean, impaired? She can still have children, can't she? It couldn't have been that bad, Kabuto wouldn't do that-" Sakura started stirring in her sleep, her face forming into distress.

"I suggest you lower your voice, Uchiha and let me finish explaining. Tsunade-sama did all that she could, but which the trauma, if Sakura were to ever get pregnant, the chances for fetal survival are at 20% maximum and she will not be able to deliver naturally. She will likely be set on strict bedrest throughout the duration of any pregnancy.'

Naruto felt tears fall for his friend, he fell to his knees, gripping against the bedsheet and burying his face in. Why Sakura? What did she do to deserve this? He could not imagine the physical and emotional pain she must have to endure. She was always sacrificing herself for others, when was it someone else's turn to sacrifice for her? Naruto walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him. He needed to walk and clear his head.

With only Sasuke and Gaara left in the room, things were awkwardly silent for a few minutes until Sasuke broke the silence.

"Why is she holding on to you so fondly? Are you trying to play a game here?" Sasuke asked bitterly. Gaara merely shook his head.

"I am here to comfort my friend, she asked me to stay so I am staying until she wakes up again and then I will leave her to you." Sasuke scowled but kept silent with the young Kazekage and his sleeping fiancé.

 **X**

It's all my fault Sakura-sensei is like this. She gave herself to my father to save me, and he hurt her so much. There was nothing I could do. I had to watch him stab her body as he violently forced himself into her. She screamed as loud as she could until I saw him grab her underwear and wrapped it around her neck. I closed my eyes but the sound of her choking was imprinted into my mind.

She told me not to go to him, why did I not listen? If I listened to her, none of this would have happened. I'm an awful daughter. I'm an awful person. Why did I ever think I could be happy for once? Every time I am happy, something bad happens. I am a bad omen. I never should have been. I'm so sorry, Sakura-sensei.

I tightened the noose around my neck, one foot off the stool. I cried one last time until the sound of a door startled me.

"Sarada, Sarada! What are you doing? Please don't do this!" Jarusko begged me. No, I can't let him see me like this, I can't hurt him! I don't want to hurt anyone else. I tried to turn to face him and lost my footing. Pain. That is all I am. What have I done? Darkness overtook. There is no turning back, the closest I have been to the light will be in death.

"Sarada! Please wake up! Sarada!" Jarusko cut the rope with a kunai and held Sarada's now lifeless body against him, screaming for help.

 **X**

"Sarada!" the scream echoed through the hospital. Sakura awoke immediately, nearly jumping out of her bed.

"Jarusko?!" she cried out. Sasuke grabbed Sakura, trying to pull her back into her bed.

"Sakura, get back in bed, you're hurt. You need to rest." Sakura resisted and tried to make her way out of her room. Gaara blocking the door.

"Let me go, it's Jarusko! He needs me! Something is wrong! Let me go!" Sakura was interrupted by the intercom.

"CODE PINK IN ROOM 213. CODE PINK." Sakura's demeanor dropped, and she pushed Gaara out of the way, running to room 213.

"Sakura, stop! You are going to hurt yourself!" Gaara and Sasuke called after her. She didn't care, she knew in her heart there was something wrong. She couldn't stand by. She threw herself in the room and froze at the sight.

She saw Jarusko sobbing as he held close to him Sarada, the noose still around her neck. Sakura fell to the ground beside her students, and started sobbing. She took Sarada's body and tried healing her, in denial of her fate.

"Come on Sarada, I'm here for you, don't worry, everything will be okay, I promise. I love you so much, please don't leave us, please don't!" Gaara and Sasuke walked into the room to see Sakura crying over her deceased student's corpse.

"Sakura, there's nothing you could have done." Gaara tried to speak, but Sakura ignored his words and continued pumping any chakra left in her body into her student.

"She's going to be okay, she has to be okay!" She kept repeating to herself until finally all chakra I her body ceased and she fell aside her student, holding her lifeless body to her own.

"Don't leave Sarada, please don't leave…" Sasuke just stood in the doorway, unsure of what he could do or say. Gaara turned to him.

"Get Tsunade-sama immediately." For once, he listened, leaving the scene. Jarusko was in a state of shock at this point. Witnessing his teammate take her own life. He shed his tears and now he couldn't feel anything more.

 **X**

With much resistance, Tsunade managed to get Sakura back into her room. Sakura was talking to herself as if she were talking to Sarada. She played with her own hair, braiding it into parts.

"You're such a good girl, you're so smart Sarada-chan! You're my little girl, I love you so much." Sasuke looked to Tsunade who in turned shook her head.

"I think Sakura will need to stay here for some time, Sasuke. As good as our medics are, Sunagakure is more renowned for mental health that we are. Sakura will need to speak with a therapist 3 times a week, in one hour sessions. I will let Kakashi know to keep Sakura off active duty for at least 6 months, but it could take years for Sakura to recover physically and mentally."

Sasuke walked over to Sakura and tried to touch her until she started whimpering. He backed off.

"You have to remember, she was brutally assaulted and then witnessed her student die in front of her. She will not want anyone to be touching her, she may not even want to talk. You must be patient with her and her recovery." Sasuke backed away and walked out of the room. Tsunade looked to Gaara who simply nodded his head.

"Gaara, do you have a therapist in mind for Sakura?"

"Of course. She is young but this area of trauma is her expertise. Sakura deserves only the best treatment available. The medical bills will be on me as well, Sunagakure owes Sakura so much, this is the least we can do." Tsunade bowed to Gaara.

"Tsunade-sama, you really do not need to bow to me." She continued to bow.

"I am bowing to you because I respect you as both a leader and as Sakura's friend. I am thankful she has a friend like you supporting her any way you can. Thank you, Gaara.

 **X**

Gaara held Sakura's hand as he guided Sakura to her therapist. Sakura was very quiet and absent minded. She sighed and stopped for a moment.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Sakura stood stiff for a moment then regained purpose and continued walking with Gaara.

"Sakura, this is Sari-san, she is going to talk to you. Is that okay?" Sakura turned her head away, then up to the sky and started to tear up. Sari walked up to Sakura slowly and handed her a handkerchief. Sakura took it gratefully and gave her attention back to Sari.

"Thank you." Sari smiled.

"Would you like to come talk with me for a little while, Sakura?" She hesitated and then looked at Gaara.

"Can- Can Gaara come too? Will you come with me, Gaara?" Sakura clung to him. He looked at Sari then at Sakura then lightly smiled.

"If you would like me to stay with you Sakura, I will." Sakura wiped away her tears and hugged Gaara tightly and he hugged back. Sari brought them back to her office. It was very neat, nothing too extravagant but she had cool refreshments and snacks available. Sakura and Gaara sat beside each other, Gaara held Sakura's hand firmly. Sari sat down across from them and handed Sakura a bottle of water. Sakura accepted it and thanked her.

"Sakura-chan, do you have a favorite color?" Sakura thought for a moment and nodded.

"Green, green is my favorite color. Most people think it would be pink though because of my hair, but I actually cannot stand the color pink. My hair is a constant reminder." Sakura laughed to herself. Sari smiled and nodded.

"Green is a lovely color. Is there a reason why it's your favorite?"

"I think because of my country, I'm from the leaf and it's green. I think that's why at first, then I just started liking it as a color on it's own. I don't really have a valid reason." She trailed off, Sari took note.

"Well, you don't have to have a reason for liking things you do." Sakura was taken back by hat statement for some reason.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Sakura nodded her head and smiled.

"Sakura-chan, are you and Gaara good friends?" You both seem very close" Sakura smiled and held onto Gaara's arm tightly.

"He is one of my very best friends. Whenever I'm sad, I know that he will be there for me, emotionally. I know being emotional can be a sign of weakness, but Gaara treats me the same through weakness and strength. I couldn't ask for a better friend than Gaara." Gaara forced to keep a blush suppressed. He enjoyed being there for Sakura, as she had been there for him through his own moments of weakness.

"That is wonderful to hear, Sakura-chan. I see you have a ring on your finger, are you married?" Sakura looked at her ring and grew silent.

"Sasuke-kun…" it was as if she were put in a trance. She almost instantly snapped out of it.

"Oh, no. I'm engaged right now, to Sasuke Uchiha. We were going to get married last spring but my parents passed away and I asked that we put our wedding on hold." Sari nodded, noting all responses in her notebook.

"Was he okay with putting your wedding on hold?" she shook her head.

"Not really, but he accepted it. He isn't very good at expressing his emotions yet." Sakura sighed and involuntarily moved her hand to her cheek. Gaara and Sari both noticed her unusual response. They didn't question it yet, it may be something to dig into later down the road.

"I see. Was he urgent to start creating a family?" Sakura's grip on Gaara tightened, almost unbearable. Sakura started breathing heavily to avoid any tears escaping but to no avail.

"He was and now I can never give it to him… what use am I to him now?" Sakura stated bitterly. 'Children are a trigger' Sari thought to herself before writing it down.

"Sasuke must love you more as a partner than someone who can give him children-"

"That is what he wanted from the start and I was the only one he deemed worthy enough, what now? I am about as useless as I was from the start. I try to sacrifice so much and it was all for nothing! I feel like my entire existence was based off of pleasing Sasuke and I can't even do that right… what use am I now?" Sakura was crying against Gaara again. He was unaware that Sakura felt this way.

Gaara felt angry that Sakura felt so much self resentment because of Sasuke. Always Sasuke.

Sakura eventually calmed down, with help from both Sari and Gaara. Sakura laid on the couch, closed her eyes and fell asleep. Sari brought out a light blanket and placed it over Sakura.

"So, what are you thinking, Sari?" she sifted through her notes.

"There is pre existing trauma, not even related to her most recent trauma. It seems that it was just a catalyst to a whole can of worms within Sakura's sub conscious. It will take some time, but I am sure she will be able to recover nicely if she keeps talking everything out. She seems to have a history of self loathing and bottling up her feelings which you, of all people, know is not a good thing. She just needs time, love, and patience. All of which, I know you are capable of providing, Gaara-sama." She bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sari-san." Gaara lifted up Sakura's sleeping form, carrying her bridal style. Whilst in her sleep, she wrapped her arms around Gaara's neck.

"Gaara…" she murmured. He looked down at her and kissed her forehead. His feelings were undeniable, but he will not come between Sakura and Sasuke, unless Sakura were to come to him. For now, he will hold these feelings to himself. He will love her in silent, and comfort her as the friend she admires. Maybe one day, his love will be returned.

 **X**

Author note: oh wow, I actually hit the 10k mark. Seeing how hard and time consuming it was, I am unsure if all chapters will be 10k. It will depend on the content of the chapter and how inspired I feel. Also to clear something up. For my story, Sari is a ninja and a therapist. Her backstory will come in the next chapter. Anyways, please review! It really inspires me to write more when I know I have an audience reading. Thank you all!

 _ **Miyaka Hana**_

 _ **Ps. I have a poll on my profile page, if y'all could give me some feedback, that would be great!**_


	3. Therapy

Author note: Thank you all for your support, I hope you are all enjoying my story. I received a very encouraging review from the user Laetificant, so this chapter is dedicated to you! Thank you for your patience and support throughout my career. Anyways, this chapter will be focusing on some GaaSaku fluff and some foreshadowing, oooooh~ Please be sure to review and if you have any questions or would like to request anything, feel free to message me personally, I am taking requests for oneshots. Also, I have not been very invested within the canon of Naruto since my Hiatus, so if anyone could give me a summary of what all has happened, I would be very appreciative as this will benefit the nature of not only this story, but of another that I have in the works! Thank you all again for your support, now off to the 3rd chapter.

The Bloody Cherry Blossom

Chapter Three: Therapy

 _ **Flashback 3 years ago**_

" _Sari, Matsuri, Niko, you have shown your home honor, and I will establish upon you all the honor and the responsibility of Chunin status for the village of Sunagakure. Congratulations." Sari looked at her certificate of promotion , holding it close to her chest, her pride and confidence boosting through the roof._

" _Thank you, Gaara-sama! We are honored to work under you as our leader." Matsuri spoke for the group as they bowed their heads in respect. Gaara flashed a small grin and sat back down in his chair for a moment, then pulled out a scroll._

" _Right here, I have a mission for you all. It is B rank considering there are children's lives in danger. There are child traffickers taking village children from their homes to sell into slavery. Your mission is to rescue the children, return them to their families, and to dispose of the traffickers. You will leave at Dawn tomorrow. You are dismissed." They bowed once again and stepped out of his office, preparing for their first B rank mission as a team._

" _Aren't you excited, Sari-chan? Our first mission as Chunin!" Matsuri squealed, Sari giggled and hugged her friend, excited for the mission as well. It was sad that children were being sold into slavery, but her team, they were going to stop it and save the kids! They'll be worshipped as heroes! Sari thought to herself._

 _Niko simply walked off, he was relatively quiet around his female teammates. It was uncommon for there to be more than one female on a team, and now he could see why. Their constant girlish blabber is quite distracting. He sighed._

 _ **X**_

 _This was nothing any of them expected. The looks on the face of all the children that were being held against their will, ages as young as four to as long as ten. Mostly girls, but there were some boys as well. If they had to estimate how many children were being held captive, it would be close to twenty. Twenty young lives, taken and their innocence shattered._

" _Here is the plan, Matsuri and I will distract the traffickers and take them out, Sari, you take all the kids and run. These guys aren't shinobi, so they shouldn't be any trouble." Niko took charge, Matsuri and Sari looked at one another and nodded their heads, getting in position._

 _Niko reached into his ninja pack and grabbed firecrackers and smoke bombs and ignited them in a secluded corner._

" _What the hell was that?!" one of the traffickers yelled, the other looked around him, Sari noticed the man held a ring of keys, she assumed it to be the keys to the cells the children were in. A swarm of men flooded the warehouse, preparing to fight._

" _It's do or die, Sari, you go to the children, I will get the keys. Matsuri, you and I will take care of these thugs."_

" _Ninjas! Stand up, men! We can't let them take our property!" the assumed leader yelled to his men. They were armed with knives, swords, and whatever blunt objects they could find. Matsuri and Niko jumped down, initiating battle with the men, Sari kept his presence hidden for a moment, waiting for the men to back away from the cages with the children. She could hear the children's cries for help._

 _Sari looked around and saw one of the guardsmen sneak into a cage and grabbed a small girl, trying to sneak her away._

" _You're too valuable to lose, bitch. You're going to come with me." The old man snickered, the little girl cried, Sari could not stand back any longer. She jumped down, blocking the man from escaping._

" _Let the girl go, now!" she snarled, the old man laughed at her and took out a blade and pointed it at her._

" _This little bitch is going no where, her family would pay a nice little penny to have her back, or I could just sell her off, there are all types of people looking for someone of her kind." The little girl was no older_ than _seven. Her hair was black as night but her eyes were a pale shade of yellow._

" _Please,_ help _me!" the little girl cried out, the old man gripped her arm tighter, his own knuckles turning white from the force._

" _Suna muni no jutsu!" Sari called out, knocking the knife out of the man's hand and releasing the grasp he had on the little girl._

" _Suna Shunshin no jutsu." the little girl was now out of sight, the man growled and charged at Sari in absolute fury._

" _You bitch! She is mine! Where did you put her?" Sari dodged, jumping above the man and quietly spoke._

" _Kaze senbon." The man was no longer a threat, she ran over to the rest of the cells, she had hidden the dark haired girl in one of the cells with the other children._

" _Sari, here are the keys! Free them and run, the rest of these guys won't be giving you any trouble." Sari caught the keys and ran, opening all the cells._

" _Okay, everyone. Follow me, I will take you somewhere safe. All the children ran out their cells and ran towards the exit, but Sari noticed the black haired girl still in the cage, her knees brought up to her chest, she was crying. Sari couldn't have her stay there, she picked up the child and ran out the warehouse, guiding the other children to safety._

 _Sari felt the little girl cry into her chest and wrap her arms around her neck. She felt bad for the child, who knows what she had gone through. Once they were a safe distance away from the building, Sari set up refuge and inspected all the children for wounds and signs of abuse._

 _Terrible enough, almost all the children had been in some way abused. Physically or sexually. Sari's heart ached for them all. The black haired girl came to her and clung onto her crying her little eyes out. Sari patted her back softly._

" _Thank you for saving us, miss…" the little girl looked up, wiping her tears from her ears. Sari smiled sadly._

" _You're very welcome, sweetheart. You can call me Sari-chan, if you like." The little girl nodded and continued to cling onto the young Chunin._

" _Have bad men ever hurt you Sari-chan?" The quest alerted Sari, almost bringing her to tears of her own. Sari shook her head slightly._

" _Why did the bad men hurt us? Did we do something wrong?" Sari held the little girl close to her chest and patted her head._

" _No, sweetie. Whenever a bad man does something, it is never your fault." Sari paused. Another little girl came up, she was the youngest of the group. Just turned 4._

" _Meriko-chan saved me from the bad man but he hurt her instead. She was very sad and it makes me very sad." Sari couldn't find the words, he wasn't expecting this mission to be this… intense._

" _Sari-chan, is Meriko-chan a hero for saving me?" Sari couldn't hold her tears back, she pulled the small child into the embrace as well._

" _She is. She is a very big hero for protecting you." All the children then gathered around Sari, initiating a group hug._

" _Thank you for being our hero, Sari-chan." Sari's heart broke for all these children, she couldn't keep her emotions in check, it was just so much. They were thanking her for being there and taking them away from their captors. Their abusers. It felt like something went off in her head and her heart, she felt like she had to be there for them all, as someone they can talk to or just as a shoulder to cry on._

 _She won't allow them to feel alone anymore, she didn't want to have a child have to go through this alone, or anyone for that matter._

 _ **X**_

" _Thank you for bringing back our Meriko-chan! She has been through so much, we were so worried!" the woman cried and she picked up her daughter and held her closely. The group of three bowed their heads in respect._

" _Sari-chan has to leave now? I'll miss you, Sari-chan." Sari looked up and smiled sadly._

" _I do, but if it's okay with your mommy and daddy, you can write me letters so we can talk. Maybe every so often, I can come visit and we can go to the zoo. Your favorite animal is the monkey, right?" Meriko grinned and nodded her head excitedly._

" _Can I write to Sari-chan, Mommy? She wants to be my friend." Her parents agreed._

" _Thank you again, especially to you, Sari-san. We were so afraid of what our daughter has gone through, we could be no happier that she has someone like you to talk to her." Sari blushed and smiled._

" _I will be looking forward to writing to you, Meriko-chan. If you need anything, feel free to ask for me." They said their goodbyes and headed home._

 _Matsuri and Niko were pretty quiet but Matsuri was very curious as to how Sari connected to the children so well. They were glued to her hip all the way back to their homes._

" _So, Sari-chan, what all was that about?"_

" _I, I think I found my calling. I've worked hard to get where I am, but I think I have a passion for something else."_

 _Niko rose an eyebrow and Matsuri looked at her dumbfounded, grabbing onto her shoulders and shaking her._

" _Are you serious? What could you want more than being a ninja under Gaara-sama?" Sari looked back and smiled._

" _I think I want to help kids like Meriko-chan. I, I think I want to be a therapist. I feel like I could do some good there, especially in our village." Matsuri's jaw dropped, but Niko nodded his head in understanding. He smiled to himself, Sari wasn't as bad as he thought. Maybe she isn't just a selfish fangirl._

 _ **X**_

" _Kazekage-sama? May I come in?" Gaara opened the door remotely, still at his desk. Sari walked in shyly. She took a deep breath and released. Gaara noticed her nervousness._

" _Is everything alright, Sari-san?" he asked. She coughed but nodded her head, taking another deep breath._

" _Kazekage-sama, after this recent mission, I had an epiphany." Sari began. Gaara leaned forward, curiously._

" _An epiphany you say? Good or bad?" Sari smiled, and looked away._

" _I think I want to help children, like as a therapist. There were so many children there and they came to me, asking me all these questions, and looking for comfort, and something in my heart just clicked. I think I was meant to be a therapist, Kazekage-sama."_

 _The room was silent for a moment. Sari looked up to Gaara for a response. He rose from his chair and went to his shelf and brought out a book and handed it to Sari. She looked at the book, her fingers grazing against the title._

' _The Guide to Mental Health'_

 _She looked up to Gaara who gave her an understanding nod. She smiled, clutching the book to her chest and bowed._

" _Thank you so much, Kazekage-sama! This means so much to me, your support is so very appreciated! I will work hard to be the best therapist I can be for our people!"_

 _Gaara smiled to her, and sat back down in his chair._

" _I know you will do anything you set your mind to do, Sari-san. I do have one question, however, as to your position to your team and your rank. Would you still like to perform in team missions as a Chunin, or would you like to select to do private missions with only yourself?" Sari hadn't even thought about her team, they knew of her intentions but she wasn't certain about leaving her team indefinitely._

" _If I may, Kazekage-sama, could I be put as a substitute? So I can study and get my license?" Gaara simply nodded._

" _That will be fine. We will have some papers to fill out, but that can wait for tomorrow. Is there anything else you need of me, Sari-san?" She shook her head and bowed her head as he dismissed her from his office._

 **X**

"Welcome back, Sakura-chan. How have you been feeling today?" Sakura was quiet, clinging onto Sasuke. He asked that he go with her instead of Gaara. He also wanted to help through her through her recovery so they can go back to the way things once were.

"She is quiet today, I think she's tired." Sasuke answered for her. Sari could tell by his tone that Sasuke was a very authoritative personality. Hopefully, it wouldn't be a detriment to Sakura's recovery.

"Thank you for answering for her, Sasuke-san, but Sakura can talk for herself, right Sakura-chan?" Sasuke didn't show much care for the woman who had essentially challenged his authority.

"I am doing okay, Sari-san, I am kind of tired today like Sasuke-kun said." Sari nodded and led them back to her office.

"Would you like any water Sakura-chan? Sasuke-san?" she offered, Sasuke denied.

"Yes please, Sari-san. I am thirsty. It's kind of hotter today than normal, right?" Sari nodded and grabbed a glass for Sakura and handed it to her.

"It is a bit more humid today than usually. Are you sure you wouldn't like anything to drink, Sasuke-san?" He shook his head.

"No, I am fine." He answered her shortly. She sighed then grabbed her clipboard and sat down in a chair close by to Sakura.

"How have you been sleeping, Sakura-chan?" she shook her head.

"Not very well, I keep having nightmares, I try to push them out but they happen so vividly, and I just wake up screaming, I feel like I can't sleep for rest anymore." Sari nodded her head and marked it down.

"Is this happening every night? Or only some nights?" She noticed Sasuke getting antsy, probably from all the prodding into details.

"It's every night, her night terrors last at least an hour until she finally falls back asleep. She is will wake up covered in sweat because she refuses to sleep without the comforter around her." Sari listened to Sasuke and looked at Sakura, who just looked the other way.

"Sakura-chan, why do you want to sleep with the comforter on?" Sakura took a deep breath, and blinked her eyes rapidly to prevent any tears from falling.

"It's okay if you don't want to say, you can take your time." Sari said sympathetically, passing her a tissue. Sakura nodded her head in thanks and wiped any tears that managed to escape.

"I, I just don't want to be exposed." She managed to speak out. Tears started falling more freely, she held the tissue to her eyes and leaned against Sasuke for comfort, who could not seem to figure out how to provide the comfort Sakura needed.

"Sasuke, you can hug her, she wants you to be there for her, the let her know you're supporting her." Sari tried to speak up, Sasuke glared at her in return.

"You're the one asking the questions that make her cry. How is this going to make her feel better?" Sari was used to resistance from patients, and even from patient attendees. Sasuke's tirade didn't faze her one bit.

"Sasuke-san, in order for her to come to terms with what has happened, she has to accept that it happened. There will be times where certain things can act as a trigger, like the comforter. She wants the comforter because she feels exposed. She wants to feel safe. This is common, she is just working through it her own way."

"Sasuke-kun, please, just hold me." Sakura begged him, he pulled her close to him and rubbed her back softly. Sari knew that Sasuke could be kind, but he seemed too full of himself to ask for help or to take orders from anyone, especially when emotions are involved.

Sari looked up at the clock to see that an hour has passed by rather quickly. She smiled at Sakura and patted her back.

"Sakura-chan, are you ready to go home now? Or did you want to talk a little more?"

"We should go home, it's getting late. I'm sure Sakura would like a nap. She has had a long day." Sari sighed. She will have to speak to Sasuke privately if he will be continuing to come along with Sakura during her sessions. She didn't need him speaking for her, she could tell he was a bit controlling.

"It was nice seeing you today, Sakura-chan. Feel free to call me or send me a message if you need to talk. Thank you for coming with her, Sasuke-san."

"Thank you Sari-san. I look forward to seeing you again." Sakura smiled and bowed respectfully. Sasuke linked arms with Sakura and walked away. Sari sighed and looked down at her clipboard. Hopefully, she will make more progress next session. Hopefully, Gaara will come instead of Sasuke.

 **X**

"How has she been progressing, Sari-san?" Sari took a sip of her tea, swallowed and sighed. She put the cup back down on the coaster.

"You know I can't break confidentiality, even for you Kazekage-sama. However, I can say that I would rather you join Sakura in her time of need than Sasuke." Gaara raised and eyebrow, Sari smiled.

"She seems more at ease with you, and you're willing to comfort her the way she needs. I can tell that Sasuke isn't the most affectionate or supportive partner in this department. I am going to speak with him about not speaking for Sakura, he seemed very combative throughout our last session." She paused.

"Combative, how?"

"He just didn't want to trust the process, very irritable, controlling, maybe. I just don't think Sakura can get through this if he keeps holding her back from her own recovery."

The room was quiet for a minute until Gaara broke the peace. Standing from his chair, he turned to his window. He looked down to see his village. Then the flash of pink swept his thoughts away.

"When is your next session with her, Sari-san?"

"It will be tomorrow at 5pm. Did you want to join her instead of Sasuke? I don't think he will go for that. I usually have a one guest only rule, but I could make an exception if Sakura would like for you both to be there." Gaara simply nodded his head and sat back down on his desk.

"I will be seeing myself out now, Kazekage-sama." She bowed and left Gaara to his silent thoughts. The more he thought of Sakura, the more the ache in his chest seemed to bother him more and more. He sighed, not understanding how to cope with these feelings.

Sakura was his friend, best friend next to Naruto; but it felt so much more foreign to him than friendship. He placed his hand to his forehead, lining his fingers to the kanji he had been plagued with as a child. He would not, could not feel these emotions. He forbid himself. Never again.

 **X**

"What is he doing here? Shouldn't you have more important things to be doing, like taking care of your village?" Sakura looked to the side, ignoring the commotion between Sasuke and Gaara. Sari placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder softly, leading her to the therapy room.

"Sakura asked for me to join and I have made accommodations to accompany her in her time of need. I am not here to argue with you, this is about Sakura. Cease this unnecessary bickering." Sasuke glared and followed Sakura in a huff.

"Please, sit down everyone. Would you like any water Sakura-chan?" Sakura shook her head. "Anything for you two?" Sasuke remained silent.

"I would like a cup, Sari-san. Thank you." Sari smiled and passed Gaara a cup of cold water.

"You are very welcome Kazekage-sama. Now, Sakura; how have you been since our last session? Have you had any more nightmares?" Sakura opened her mouth as if to speak but was interrupted by Sasuke.

"Yes, they are still recurring. Same as before." Sakura sighed and looked towards Gaara who seemed more quiet than usual.

"Sasuke-san, I request that you refrain from speaking for Sakura. This is her time to talk, not yours. If you continue to speak over her, I will ask you to leave." He grunted and slumped against the couch.

"Sari-san, my nightmares… they just keep getting more and more vivid. It feels so realistic. Then out of nowhere, everything goes white." Sakura felt tears building up. Gaara took her hand and held it gently, reassuring her that she will be okay. "She is calling for me, she keeps asking and as soon as I find her, she's gone… she's gone."

"Who is gone, who is calling for you?" she released her tears. "Sarada… She's gone, I tried to save her, but no matter how hard I tried, she was out of reach. No matter how hard I try, it's never enough." Sakura turned to Gaara's chest to cry, he held her and patted her back. "Ssh, ssh…"

Sasuke looked to his fiancé and Gaara. Jealousy in his eyes. He stood up and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Sakura was startled by the noise, she froze.

"Kazekage-sama, would you like to go keep an eye on Sasuke-san or would you like for me to call someone?" Gaara simply nodded.

"Get Naruto. Sakura needs me here, she does not need to stress over this." Gaara did not budge, instead pulling Sakura close to him, holding her close, trying to calm her nerves. Sari smiled and called for Naruto to track down Sasuke and keep an eye on him.

After some time, Sakura was finally calm to continue.

"Are you feeling better Sakura-chan?" Sakura gave a weak nod.

"Thank you Sari-san, Thank you Gaara, for being here."

Sari smiled at both Gaara and Sakura, she took a quick glance at her clipboard.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, do you have a favorite snack?" Sakura laughed lightly.

"Probably Ramen, Naruto has corrupted me." Gaara smiled to himself. Her laugh lightened the pressure on his heart, he couldn't help but sneak a look at her. Her smile was genuine, that was his favorite thing about her. Her smile warmed even his cold heart. It could melt through any blizzard.. Then it was her eyes, he saw her best through her eyes.

Her eyes told stories of pain but her determination to strive for more, to strive for a better life. A better her that she would be proud of. Then it was her personality. Though irrational and emotional, she showed him what being human was, with all her imperfections, she showed him that those flaws are what made them into the people they are today. Those flaws ended up being her greatest strengths.

The small ache in his chest returned and with a fury. He couldn't ignore it anymore. He realized what this pain was doing to him. He finally accepted it. He loved her.

"Gaara, are you okay?" she spoke so softly, his heart fluttered. He was awakened from his trance. He merely nodded.

"Alright Sakura-chan, I think this is where we will end off today. Feel free to come by if you need anyone to talk."

Sakura and Gaara walked out of the room together, arms linked. They walked back to their quarters. Sasuke was being guarded by Sasuke. Tsunade left the day previously, after Sakura was fully healed she could not be away from Konoha any longer. She gave Sakura the biggest hug before setting off. Tsunade gave Sasuke permission to stay with Sakura for as long as Sakura desired. Naruto was ordered to stay to keep an eye on Sasuke.

"Sakura, we need to talk." Sasuke's voice rang in her ears. Gaara unlinked their arms. "I will see you later, Sakura, I need to get back to my office." Within moments, he was gone with the sand.

"What do we need to talk about, Sasuke-kun?" She sat down on her chair. Sasuke looked at her and closed their front door shut.

"Are you cheating on me?" Sakura looked at Sasuke shocked, how dare he accuse her of such a thing. Choked up, she managed to reply.

"W-what? Why would you ask me that? I would never cheat on you, Sasuke-kun, I love you, I am engaged to you." Sasuke glared at her and then pointed at the door.

"What the hell were you doing back there with him? Why did you turn to him and not to me? Don't think you're being clever, Sakura. I am not in the mood."

"What are you talking about, Sasuke-kun? I love you with all my heart, Gaara is my friend and he was just comforting me since you can't seem to understand how to just hold my hand and tell me everything is going to be okay, he is giving me the support I need!" she shouted, tears aggressively falling down her cheeks.

"So I don't support you enough? If anything, I supported you too much and now look where you are, going to some wacko for therapy. I'm sorry it happened, but you need to get over it, Sakura. I saw my family die one by one and I never went to some doctor to talk about my stupid feelings. I dealt with it." In a fit of hysterical passion, Sakura rose from her chair, walked over to Sasuke and looked up to him with her eyes full of tears.

"That is exactly why I am trying to talk to someone about my feelings, I want to get better, I don't ever want to become like _you._ " Her words stung him like venom, his rage firing up his resolve.

His hands instinctively went to her wrists, grabbing them tightly. He glared at her, watching the pain become evident across her face.

"Sasuke, let me go, you're hurting me…" he scoffed and pushed her away forcefully. "Don't you ever talk to me like that." He spat. She stood up and walked back to him. She flashed her hand, slipping the ring off her finger.

"You need to leave. Now. I will recover without you and then I will come back to Konoha. Until then, this engagement is off." She handed him her ring only to receive a pain she had received once before. She felt her cheek swell. Sasuke grabbed his bags and left. Sakura sat herself down on the floor, unable to think.

She held out her wrists, his hands left their mark. She tried rotating both wrists. One was definitely broken, both severely bruised. She tried to cry, but no more tears could form. She went to bed alone that night, unable to heal his damage.

 **X**

Sakura woke up to the sound of banging at her door. Her head throbbing in pain.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan, open up!" Sakura sighed, only Naruto would come by this early in the morning. She placed a long sleeve sweater over her person. She walked to the door and opened it slightly.

"Yes, Naruto?" she said weakly. Naruto tried to force himself in, Sakura resisted.

"What is it, Naruto? I am trying to sleep." She snapped at him.

"Sasuke-teme said you two had a 'small disagreement' and you told him to go home. What happened?" She tried to force the door shut on his face but he over powered her. She fell on her bottom. Naruto looked at her face, he bent down speechless, he held his hand out to touch her face but she turned away.

'Who hurt you, Sakura? Was it Sasuke?" She shook her head. She didn't want any more stress. She was so tired, she just wanted to go back to bed and forget everything.

"No, I tripped over the sofa and I hit myself on the edge of the coffee table. You know I can be clumsy." He didn't seem completely convinced.

"Sakura-chan, if something happened, you'd tell me, right?" she nodded again. "Of course, Naruto. Just please, take Sasuke and go home. I am going to stay here and finish my therapy. I will come home when I am ready, I promise." Naruto sighed, and helped Sakura to her feet and gave her a tight hug.

"Please come home soon, Sakura-chan. We all love you, even Sasuke-teme. Even though he doesn't show it much. He loves you more than he loves anyone. Dattebayo." For some reason, she winced at the mention of his name. Naruto didn't seem to notice however.

"Bye Naruto, take care of Hinata-chan. She's due any day now, huh? Tell her I am sorry I couldn't be there. And if you see Ayame-chan, tell her I am sorry that I haven't returned, but here is a prescription for Teuchi-san's medicine. It's good for 6 months while I'm away. Could you pick up his medication for them while I'm gone? I promised but then this… happened." Naruto smiled and gave her one last hug.

"You've got it, Sakura-chan. Love ya, take care!" and with that, the sound of the door closing released her subconscious.

" **I told you Sasuke was a bastard! We should have taken Sarada and ran like I said before and none of this would have happened!"**

Sakura didn't fight her inner thoughts. There was no arguing with the truth. Sakura to figure out how she was going to heal herself. The hospital would ask too many questions. Then an idea.

 **X**

Sakura-san? Are you okay? What happened to you?" Sakura raised the hood over her head and looked around nervously.

"Sari-san, I need your help. Can you heal me, please. I, I can't let anyone see me like this. Naruto already saw and I had to lie to him. Please help me." Sari looked around outside her door, checking for any witnesses before dragging Sakura inside her office, locking the door.

She held a cooling touch against Sakura's face, she winced slightly in pain. Sari rolled up Sakura's sleeves and gasped at the discoloration.

"Sakura-san, what happened? Who did this?" Sakura turned her head and lowered, holding back a cry from the back of her throat.

"Please, just fix it. I don't want to see myself like this, I haven't felt so weak since I was a kid. I don't want anyone to know." Sari gulped but began to heal her wrists. The broken one took much longer, Sari wasn't entirely incompetent as a medic nin, but her skills were limited to minor injuries. Matsuri held a wider variety of knowledge.

She moved onto the other wrist which was severely bruised and swollen, it would have been better if it'd been broken like the other. She bit her bottom lip and forced the chakra to heal, draining her reserves. She sighed then brought out two wrist braces.

"Sakura, you will need to wear these for at least 2 weeks, I did what I could, but this is beyond my abilities." She lid the braces onto Sakura's wrists one by one. Sakura looked at her hands, she felt so broken.

"Sakura, will you be able to tell me what happened?" Sakura released her emotions, falling to the floor. She held herself in a fit of hysterics.

"I thought he loved me, Why would he do this to me?" she croaked. Sari put two and two together. She knew who was responsible. She lowered herself to the floor. She patted Sakura's back softly.

"I keep giving and giving to everyone and I'm left with nothing. Why does everyone I love hurt me?" she sobbed.

"Sakura-san, I need you to calm down for me, okay?" She spoke softly, comforting. Sakura took deep breaths, in and out, in and out.

"Gaara walked me back last night, and Sasuke saw. He accused me of cheating on him and we got in this argument." She took more breaths, restraining herself.

'He told me I needed to get over everything and I don't need a therapist because he had it worse. I told him I didn't want to be like him, I want to get better, and he got angrier."

"He grabbed my wrists, he wouldn't let go, it hurt so much. I, I told him to go home. I gave him the ring back and told him our engagement was off until I came home then we could talk. Then he hit me. He hit me again. I am so tired, Sari-san. I just want to sleep and never wake up."

It was times like these where Sari's job would hit her heart. There is never any proper response but support. Sari held Sakura's hands and gave her a warming smile.

"I know you are hurting Sakura-san. You are being really brave telling me what happened. Do you know what you want to do whenever your treatment here is done? Do you know what you want to say to Sasuke-san?" Sakura shook her head.

"All of my life, I've been waiting for him, saving myself for him. I've sacrificed for him, how can I let him go after all I've given him? If I left him, I would have nothing to show for it. All these years, these circumstances, they couldn't have been a waste. Kami would not be so cruel. I want to believe that we can make it work." Sakura sighed.

"Do you think he can change, Sakura-san? Has he done this before?" She hesitated, Sari didn't need her answer to understand.

"He said he was sorry, he was really sorry. It only happened once and I provoked him. He can be sweet and loving and caring, I just don't know why I messed it up."

"Do you believe this is your fault, Sakura-san?"

"Why else would he do this? Why would he come back and give up his goal, his lifelong ambition just to be with me, if he was just going to do this? Why would he have bothered?"

"Maybe you should ask him when you get home, or you can write him a letter. I suggest that you wait to read any replies without me, depending on what he wants to say." Sakura nodded in agreement. She can give him another chance. Baby steps.

 **X**

"Kazekage-sama, you called for me?"

"Yes, Sari-san. I was informed that Naruto and Uchiha left this morning. Naruto came by to let me know they will be returning to Konoha but would not give any details about this early departure. Has Sakura talked to you?"

"She has, about what, I cannot say. I am sorry Kazekage-sama."

"Naruto mentioned that Sakura had an injury, are you aware of this claim?"

"I am aware and it has been dealt with."

I am aware that you are doing your job, but I am worried for Sakura. She has not harmed herself, has she?"

"Even if she had, I would be unable to speak of it." Gaara grunted annoyed. With all these questions, he only received more questions with no answers. He needed to find Sakura and speak with her himself.

"Thank you for your service, Sari-san. You are dismissed." She bowed in respect.

"I am sorry I could not answer any questions, but Sakura may talk to you. Thank you Kazekage-sama." She excused herself.

"Damn it, Sakura. What are you doing to me?" He said to himself placing his fingers to his temples. He needed to find her. He needed to see her. He needed to make sure she was okay.

 **X**

"Gaara, what are you doing here?" She opened the door slowly, inviting him inside. Gaara's eyes went to Sakura's wrists, the braces ever present.

"Sakura, what happened to your wrists?" he asked. She smiled and let out a small laugh.

"Oh, it's just a little arthritis. I work with my hands a lot so they cramp. These braces help." Sakura felt proud of herself, 1st class liar. Then a hint of regret hit her heart. She didn't want to lie to Gaara, he's one of her best friends. But he can't know. No one can know.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. Naruto and Uchiha came by this morning to tell me that they were leaving. I wanted to ask you if things were okay, Naruto mentioned that your face was swollen and bruised."

"It's okay, Gaara. I just told Sasuke that I wanted to finish my therapy here and I will come back to Konoha whenever I am finished. He agreed and left. As for Naruto, I told him that I tripped and fell and my face hit the coffee table. You know I am a klutz." Another small laugh. These laughs didn't warm his heart as they normally would.

"Where is your engagement ring, Sakura?" Sakura internally panicked, what would she tell him?

" **You should tell him the truth! You got rid of Sasuke-teme and sent him and that ring packing!"**

"Oh, I, I had to take it off for my braces. They're uncomfortable and I don't want them to damage the ring or anything." 1st class liar to 3rd class in a matter of moments. Gaara was asking way too many questions.

"I see."

Silence.

"Gaara, are you, busy today?" she tried to change the subject. He smirked lightly.

"I have a few things left at the office to accomplish but after that I should be free. Would you like to join me?" Sakura smiled. That contagious smile was back, He wanted to keep her smiles, claiming them for him only.

"I would like that, Gaara. I can help you with paperwork, if you want? I would do Tsunade-shishou's paperwork all the time whenever she'd be too hungover to function." Her laugh. Every time she laughed felt like a ray of light shining down upon the heavens. Kami had blessed him with the purest of angels.

"Ne, Gaara. This scroll is for an A rank mission in Iwagakure." Sakura handed the scroll to Gaara. He read it accordingly . He pulled out his ninja roster, checking what teams were available.

"Niko-san, alert team 17 to my office for a mission."

"Hai, Kazekage-sama." He bowed and vanished in a snap.

"They're fast, you must be a real slave driver, Gaara." Sakura teased. Gaara chuckled. The team arrived within minutes. Sakura was impressed with their punctuality. If only someone could have brought that to her home in Konoha, a certain perverted sensei missed the memo.

They were briefed and sent within 5 minutes. So incredibly efficient. Suna ran like a well oiled machine under Gaara's rule. She was proud of how far he had come from that little boy in the Chunin exams, to this power and well respected leader. He had changed so much, he grew up to be someone she cared for, he became a best friend. She was thankful to have him in her life.

 **X**

"Eh, Teme. What happened with you and Sakura?" Sasuke grunted and continued walking. Naruto rolled his eyes. Antisocial as ever, he thought.

"Did you two get into a fight?" Sasuke glared daggers, Naruto became quiet.

"Just drop it, dobe. She just wants to finish her stupid therapy and then she'll be coming back. That is all. Now stop asking stupid questions."

Something didn't sit well with Naruto. Something definitely happened, but what exactly? He will have to wait and see.

"Oi, Naruto. Sasuke. Where is Sakura? I thought you two were going to be there until she got better." Yamato was unfortunate enough to be put on gate duty.

"Sakura-chan told teme to go home, she will come back whenever she is finished with treatment." Yamato nodded and looked at Sasuke who had a look of irritation on his face.

'I see. Well, you guys let Kakashi know you're back. I'm sure you're both ready to go back to active duty, right?" Naruto grinned and nodded his head.

"You know it, Taichou. How else am I going to become Hokage?" Sasuke was still quiet, walking through the gates to Kakashi's office.

"Did he and Sakura get into a fight?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"He says no, but I'm sure that something happened. Sakura would have to be pretty ticked to tell us to go home. He won't tell me anything, and Sakura didn't want to talk about it. Honestly, it felt like she was trying to hide something, but how can I find out? It could be part of her therapy, I just don't know how to take all this in." Naruto sighed. Yamato patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"Sakura is going through a very hard thing right now, we can only pray that she will be better soon. Take care of yourself, Naruto. Sakura wouldn't want you upset over her. She is a strong woman, she needs you to be strong too."

"Thanks, Taichou. I'm gonna catch up to teme, I'll see ya later." With that, he was gone in a flash. Back to guard duty, Yamato groaned. Could be worse though, right?

 **X**

"Two miso soup, order up." Sakura looked down into the bowl, Gaara sat beside her. He could feel the emotional tension within her.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" She rose her head up alert.

"Oh, yes Gaara. Thank you for joining me for lunch." She gave him a small smile. She slurped her soup, swallowed.

"Gaara, how have Kankurou and Temari been? Kankurou hasn't gotten himself into any trouble the last time we were here I hope?" Gaara shook his head.

"Temari put the fear of Kami into his head if he went off and got poisoned or almost died again. She told him that we'd bring you here and you'll heal him just to kill him yourself." She giggled lightly. Gaara smiled. Moment like these were enough for him for now. He wants Sakura to be happy, any new feelings are far too much for her to handle at this time. He would not be selfish enough to place any confession over her own health.

"Temari knows me so well, we could be sisters. Always teasing Kanky-chan." Gaara chuckled. He knew if Kankurou knew of his nickname, he would certainly complain. Those complains would fall upon deaf ears, but he'd rather not hear it.

"Maybe Temari and I can hang out while I'm here. Maybe she can even come to therapy with me. Do you think she would, Gaara?" He nodded. She smiled and finished her soup.

"I'm thankful I have you all in my life. I don't know what kind of mess I'd be without you all." Her eyes began filling up with tears again, she smiled through her cry. She looked at Gaara, face to face. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him closely. His heart felt as if it were racing, he wrapped his arms around her as well, he laid her head down on his shoulder and patted the back of her head.

"Thank you for everything, Gaara. You always know how to make me feel better. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life." He felt her tears land on him. He didn't want her to cry, he will do anything to make sure she doesn't have to cry again. _'I love you, Sakura.'_ He told himself. That will be good enough for now. His heart has chosen, and he couldn't imagine how he lived his life without this feeling all of his life.

 **X**

A/N: Thank you all for reading, this chapter came along pretty quickly. My inspiration has been at an all time high. This is part one of the turning points in this story. We might see Akatsuki in a chapter or two, so be prepared. Next chapter will be very, what's the word? Explicit. Inner Sakura will be playing a part in next chapter as well. Anyways, please review and let me know how you liked it! Until next chapter, Ja ne!

Miyaka Hana

P.S. What if _may_ be making a grand return, I am thinking of rewriting and revising. Keep your eyes peeled. HITP is still going to be on Hiatus until I feel comfortable returning to it.


	4. Pulling at my Heart Strings

A/N: Thank you all again for your continued support. I know that I don't have a lot of readers anymore, but I am very thankful for those who have followed or favorited my story. It makes me happy to be doing what I love again. This chapter is dedicated to one my most loyal readers/reviewers. HonestxxEyes, thank you for your continued support! It is very much appreciated! This chapter is going to be dedicated to building GaaSaku relationship. Team Hebi(Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo, is that their team name still?) will make an appearance. There will also be another team of Rookie 9 coming to visit Sakura, so exciting~

The Bloody Cherry Blossom

Chapter Four: Pulling at my Heart Strings

 **Warning: Depictions of Rape**

It was a relatively hot day in Sunagakure today. No wind, just hot and humid weather. Sakura pulled out a fan to cool herself and Gaara off as they walked to Sari's office. Gaara has been attending her sessions since Sasuke's abrupt exit. Sakura was happier and more at peace with him gone however.

Gaara had made arrangements to have Temari take care of the paperwork on those days that Sakura had therapy. Gaara wanted to be there for her during the sessions and afterwards. He knew she was emotionally exhausted after each appointment. She was making progress, her smile became bright and warm like it once was.

Gaara kept stealing glances at her whenever she wasn't looking, he couldn't help himself but smile at her aura. He knew what she had gone through, but she was still pure. Her spirit cannot be broken so easily. She was strong, stronger than even she was aware.

"Sakura-san, how have you been?" Sakura gave a bright smile.

"I feel a lot better, Sari-san. I haven't had a nightmare in 3 days, I feel like my old self kind of." Sari held out her hand for a hi-five, Sakura obliged and giggled.

"I'm so happy for you, Sakura-san. That is a big step in the right direction." Sakura nodded and looked at Gaara smiling.

"Gaara has been helping me a lot with everything. He asked me to stay with him, Kankurou and Temari so if I have a nightmare I won't be alone. They were always by my side, especially you, Gaara. I am so glad you're my best friend." She gave him a tight hug, tears of happiness leaving her eyes. He sighed of happiness and hugged her back gently.

"This is all wonderful to hear, Sakura-san. If I may ask, have you received any letters from Sasuke-san since our last visit?" Sakura shook her head and sighed.

"I think he's upset at me for taking so long here." Gaara cleared his throat.

"He needs to have faith in your recovery. You will return whenever you are better and he will have to accept that." Sari nodded her head.

"What Kazekage-sama said is true, Sakura-san. You are here to get better so you can go home back to him. Great things are worth waiting for, may be something to tell him?" Sakura's demeanor changed, she sighed and leaned against the arm of the couch.

"I just wish things could go back to the way they were. Before everything happened." Gaara pulled Sakura to him and held her against his chest.

"I will be there for you whenever you need me, Sakura. We all will, I promise." Sakura smiled and clung to Gaara's arm affectionately.

"You always have Gaara. You're the best friend I could have ever asked for." Sari smiled at the two and looked through her charts.

"Sakura-san, according to my charts, we will only have a few sessions left until your treatment here is complete. Are you excited?"

"I am kind of, I miss my friends in Konoha, but I enjoy being here in Suna with Gaara, Temari and Kankurou. Even if it is so inhumanely hot." Gaara chuckled. Sari let a giggle surface.

"I would say that in about a month, you will be discharged to go home to Konoha. I will still have sessions for you scheduled after your time here for every other month, just to make sure you are doing okay." Sakura nodded.

"I understand. Thank you for everything you've done for me, Sari-san. I am so thankful to have had you as my therapist."

 **X**

"Hey, Sakura-chan! Want to join me for some shopping? My treat." Temari grinned. Sakura giggled and nodded her head.

"Sure, let me just get my things real quick. Where are we going first?" Outside the door, Temari raised her fingers to her chin to think.

"Not sure where yet, we can look around and anything that catches our eye we can check it out. Anything you're wanting specifically?" Sakura walked out of her room with her tote on her shoulder. Her hair in a high bun, it had grown significantly over the 4 months Sakura was here for Therapy. Down, it was half past the middle of her back. She decided to grow it out during her time in therapy and cut it off once she was discharged.

"Well, I was actually going to look into getting some clothes for here in Suna, I have some but I want some that aren't quite as bulky."

"Ooh, are you trying to impress somebody here? Maybe a certain brother of mine with red hair?" Temari teased. Sakura blushed and laughed.

"Oh no, Temari! We are just friends. I care about Gaara and he cares about me, but that's the extent of our relationship. Plus, I am still loyal to Sasuke, even if he and I aren't on the same page at the moment." Sakura sighed sadly. Temari scowled.

"That boy is such a cold fish, I don't know how you manage to get past that. Shikamaru can be a bit of a lazy moron, but at least he knows what is and is not acceptable in a relationship. Him questioning your therapy is so disrespectful. It'd be better if you just moved on." Sakura held her arm and sighed.

"I know you don't care for Sasuke, but I can't just leave him. I love him and he does love me, just needs some time to himself to think about everything. Whenever I get back to Konoha, things will go back to what they once were. We'll get married and have the family we've always dreamed about."

Temari wished she could sympathize with the Uchiha, but his offenses towards the nations and to Sakura has put a terrible taste in the back of her throat. She had no trust in what this man had to offer. Sakura was far more a woman than Sasuke was a man. Sakura was too good for Sasuke, he didn't deserve someone so loving and forgiving like Sakura.

"You always make excuses for him, if he really wants to be a better person, he has to make the effort, not hide behind you and your relationship."

"Can we just drop it, Temari? Let's go shopping already before I get hungry." Temari did as requested. They left their home and traveled to the markets.

Temari held up a funky orange tank top to Sakura's view, to which they both laughed loudly about.

"Oh god, that looks like something Naruto's sexy jutsu would wear! If they actually wore anything." Tears of laugher fled from her eyes. Temari laughed as well and put it back on the rack.

Sakura held up an even more revealing mid-drift shirt, with cut outs on the side and at the front of the shirt.

"I am dying! People actually wear this? Not strippers or hookers, but actual people?" Sakura laughed even harder before putting it back on the rack.

"Oh god, Sakura. This is hilariously fun, but we have to be serious now. No more looking for floozy clothes, no matter how tempting!" Sakura giggled. She and Temari left the stand and went to one with more of an appropriate variety.

Sakura and Temari sifted through the racks of tops and bottoms. Sakura held up a two piece set. It was all red with black lining It was a simple sleeveless top, asymmetrical and had the Sunagakure emblem printed on the back of the top. The skort was just a little above Sakura's fingertips. The shorts underneath were all black, the skirt was red with the Sunagakure logo printed in black on the bottom hem of the skirt.

"This one is so cute, Temari!" Temari nodded in agreement.

"That one would look so good on you, Sakura-chan! We are definitely getting it. What do you think about this one for me?"

Temari held up a three quarter sleeve purple dress with black capris. The Sunagakure logo printed on the bottom pant of the capris.

"Oh, Temari, that looks super cute! We are definitely getting it!" Temari and Sakura brought all their selections to the clerk and paid the balance. Temari and Sakura took their bags and left the little shop. They went walking around window shopping before their stomachs began to growl.

"Oh gosh, have we been shopping that much? I'm starving! Let's get something to eat!" Sakura nodded. Temari grabbed Sakura's wrist and started to run with her to an available lunch stand. Sakura went into a trance and stopped abruptly.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Temari let go of her wrist.

"Don't hurt me Sasuke-kun, please don't. I love you Sasuke-kun, don't hurt me." Involuntarily, tears began to leak from her eyes. Temari listened to what she had said. She waved her hand in Sakura's face to get her attention then put her hands on her shoulders and shook her awake.

Sakura shook her head and looked at Temari. Temari had a serious look on her face, Sakura wasn't sure what had just happened. Everything seemed like a blur for the past couple minutes.

"Sakura, we need to talk. Come on. We are going to get something to eat and talk." Sakura silently followed Temari to a quiet restaurant. They both sat down and had their orders taken. The waitress brought them their beverages.

"We will have your meals ready in about 10 minutes, thank you for your patience." Temari nodded, Sakura kept her head down.

"Sakura, you need to tell me something, and you need to tell me now. Has Sasuke ever hurt you?" Sakura couldn't help but wince at the mention of his name. Temari felt a wave of anger flow through her.

"Sakura, you need to tell me, what has he done to you?" Sakura sighed held her hands out.

"Do you remember when I had to wear those braces around my wrists?" Temari nodded patiently listening.

"I lied when I said it was because my hands cramp." Temari raised an eyebrow. Sakura took a few breaths to prepare herself.

"Sasuke got angry with me and he grabbed my wrists and he broke one of them. He didn't mean to, I provoked him. He only does it whenever I say something stupid." The waitress brought their meals, but they had seemed to lose their appetite.

"He only does it when you say something stupid? You mean that he has done this before? How many times has he done this? Has he ever hit you?" Sakura feigned silence. Temari took a sip of her drink.

"He has, hasn't he? Sakura, you do not need him. He is not good for you, he won't change."

"Temari, please don't tell anyone. Especially Gaara. I know Sasuke has made mistakes, but I know he loves me and he needs me. I can't leave him."

"Sakura, you know better than to believe that crap. He has done it more than once, who knows where it will end? You have to leave him. If you want, you can stay here where Gaara, Kankurou and I can protect you." Sakura shook her head furiously.

"I appreciate the offer Temari, but I don't need protection. I can protect myself. I just need to stop opening my mouth and saying something that I know will tick him off. He loves me and he has apologized before. It is just a mistake, he doesn't mean it." Temari scoffed.

"If he didn't mean it, he wouldn't do it. It doesn't matter what you say, he has no right to put his hands on you like that. I do not agree with your reasoning but it's your life, so I can't do anything but stand idly, but I promise you this one thing. If I hear it happening again, I will not hesitate to let everyone know. _Especially_ Gaara."

Temari and Sakura finished their lunch and left money down for the tab and tip. They walked back home in silence. Temari walked Sakura to her room and shut the door. Temari sighed. She walked to her own room, crashing down on her bed.

How could Sakura still love a man who has hurt her time and time again? She felt like she had to do something, she couldn't let Sakura go back to someone who was so obviously bad for her. Sakura would hate her for making this decision for her but she would rather Sakura's safety than her friendship. She felt conflicted between duty and a promise. Why did she promise to secrecy? Temari grunted at herself. How stupid of her to promise something so serious.

Moments in silence were interrupted by a knock at her door. She rose from her bed and walked to open her door.

"Yes, Niko-san?" He bowed respectfully.

"We have a team from Konoha at the gate. They are requesting for entry to speak to Sakura." Temari grabbed her fan and shoes.

"Very well, thank you Niko-san. I will grant them entry." Temari walked her way to the gate, and smirked at the sight.

"Oi, Lazy. What are you and your team doing here?" Shikamaru smirked back at her.

"We're here to visit Sakura! We just got back from our mission and they told us what happened and I need to see her! Those idiots should have told us earlier." Ino stated frustrated.

"Ino, if you knew about this during our mission, you would have made our mission a failure. It would have been more troublesome for everyone if we knew." Temari laughed at her love.

She and Shikamaru were in a long distance relationship for some time, they both agreed to stay in their home villages until they were ready to get married. They'd see each other occasionally, usually during diplomatic visits or holidays. Gaara gave them his blessing whenever they decided to become an exclusive couple.

"Ey, Temari-san. I'm hungry, ya'll got anything to eat?" Temari chuckled to herself and walked with the group.

"Yeah, Sakura and I just had lunch but we can make something for you three. Do you know how long you will be staying?" They all shook their heads.

"We got to Konoha, and Kakashi let us know what had happened and told us we could come visit for a little while, just to let him know how long we intended to stay whenever we arrived. I guess it just depends on what Sakura wants." Shikamaru explained. Ino was deep in thought, she and Sakura were close friends, she couldn't believe that she wasn't there for her best friend at such an unfortunate circumstance.

"Has Sakura been okay, Temari? I haven't seen her since before she left with the Hokage Tower with Sarada and then we had a mission. The stupid mission took us almost 4 months because we were undercover for some drug sting. It was so annoying!" Temari sighed slightly. Shikamaru noticed and grabbed her hand, linking his fingers in-between hers.

Shikamaru gave her a small kiss on the cheek and whispered.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Temari grit her teeth and closed her eyes, hoping the others wouldn't notice. Shikamaru took the hint and dropped it. He would ask her later. Temari was thankful for their own silent language. He knew when to let things go for a later time.

"Well, you all can stay in our guest wing of the place, if you'd like. Well, except you Lazy-ass. You're staying with me. How unfortunate for you." She teased. He chuckled to himself. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Gosh, you two need a room all to yourselves, for real. I'm glad I'll be as far away from the noise as possible. I'm surprised your brother hasn't caught you two in the middle of it." Temari blushed and Shikamaru coughed nervously.

"Yeah… let's just assume nothing ever happens around Gaara and we'll all live, eh?" Ino laughed.

"Let me go tell Sakura you are all here. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you Ino. She tells me all about you. Especially the time at the bar when you and Genma-"

"That forehead! She said she'd never tell anyone about that. Oh god, that was such a mistake." Ino laughed. Temari knocked on Sakura's door. Sakura answered meekly.

"Yes, Temari?" She then looked out the door to see Ino, she lit up and opened the door completely and tackled her friend to the ground in a hug.

"Oh Ino, I have missed you so much! When did you and everyone get back from your mission? Was it hard?" Ino hugged her back tightly, trying to pull each other off from the floor.

"We literally just got back yesterday morning, the whole mission sucked so much! We were undercover and the stupid drug lord wouldn't let up. We were on his ass the entire time until he finally slipped up."

"Well I'm glad that you are here, I have missed you the past few months. Did Kakashi tell you why I'm here?" Ino nodded sadly still hugging her friend tightly.

"I wish I was here for you, Sakura. If I had known I would have said fuck the mission and got here asap." Sakura felt Ino cry on her shoulder, she followed suit.

"I know you would have Ino, I know." Sakura sniffled.

"Why is Sasuke still in Konoha, he should be here! Do I have to kick some ass?" Ino joked through her tears. Sakura smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"No Ino, I told Sasuke to go home. I wanted to get better here and he just wasn't making it easier for me so I told him to go home and I'll go home whenever I'm done here." Ino looked at Sakura's hands, noticing that her ring was missing.

"Did you and Sasuke break up? Where is your ring?" Sakura shook her head.

"I told him that I wanted him to keep it until I came back. It's no big deal." Temari scoffed, Sakura shot a glare and she coughed.

"Oh excuse me, I'm sorry. I have something caught in my throat. Hey Shikamaru, Chouji, let's get some water and I'll start cooking something up for you all." Temari led the men away, leaving Ino and Sakura outside her bedroom door.

"That was weird. Is everything okay with you and Temari, Sakura? She isn't giving you any problems, is she? I'll tell Shikamaru, ya know."

"Oh no, Ino. It's fine. We just had an argument over something stupid. No biggie. Let's go follow them. I'm sure you're hungry too, right?" As if rehearsed, her stomach rumbled, they both laughed and made their way to the kitchen.

 **X**

Temari brought Shikamaru to her room, closed the door and locked it. He smirked as he sat on the bed.

"Did you really miss me that much you had to lock us in your room?" Temari rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Shikamaru understood that she had something to tell him.

"You're not pregnant or anything, are you? Why are you acting all serious?" Temari sat down on the bed beside him and grabbed his hand affectionately and sighed.

"No, Shikamaru, I'm not. This isn't even about me. It's about Sakura. I made a promise I shouldn't have made, and it worries me."

"This isn't like you, Temari. You don't skip past the details like this. Is it really that serious? What does this have to do with Sakura? Is it about her assault?" Temari shook her head, hanging it low, holding her forehead in her palms.

"Shikamaru, I need you to keep an eye on Sakura whenever she gets back to Konoha, and keep an eye on Sasuke too. He can not be trusted."

"Temari, I know you don't care for Uchiha, but is it really that necessary that I need to look out for him and Sakura? It's not like he would do anything to hurt her, would he?" The room was silent until the sound of teeth grinding against each other could be heard from Temari.

"He already has, Shikamaru." His eyes widened. He pulled Temari close to him and held her tightly.

"You need to tell me what you know, Temari. We need to let Kakashi and Tsunade-sama know. They would never let him get away with it, you know that."

"Sakura does not want anyone to know. I promised her that I wouldn't tell anyone, but obviously I couldn't keep that to myself. He broke her wrists before he left here. That's why Sakura told him to go home, Shikamaru. She said he has done this before. She won't listen to a damn thing I say, she is so blindly in love with this asshole, she is going to be so far gone by the end of this."

Shikamaru stumbled in his mind, searching for the words that he could say, the reasons, and just trying to fully analyze everything he has just been told. A look of utter confusion and frustration on his face, his grip on Temari never wavering.

"I told her that I would keep this hush hush unless he does it again. If I hear about it, I will tell everyone. I need you to keep an eye on her to make sure she is okay and she isn't just letting herself get thrown around. I don't know what else I can do." Shikamaru brought her head up and kissed her gently, playing her hand on his chest.

"I will do what you ask of me, I love you and I care for Sakura's wellbeing. I will be watching out for her in Konoha as you have been watching for her in Suna. I promise." Temari smiled and kissed him once more.

"I knew there was a reason I fell in love with your lazy ass. The sex is pretty great, but you as a whole, you fill this hole in my heart. I can't imagine my life without you in it." He chuckled and kissed her once more, laying her down on her bed beside him.

"You are the most troublesome woman, I have ever met, but you are worth all the trouble."

 **X**

"I wonder what my Sasuke-kun has been up to!" the red haired woman beamed. The young swordsman rolled his eyes and looked to his male teammate.

"Oi, we know what he's been up to; running from you! Eh Juugo?" He laughed loudly, Juugo gave a faint chuckle much to Karin's displeasure.

"Karin, Kabuto said we are to check on Sasuke-san and his wife-to-be. He said it was of utmost importance to keep our presence unknown. We are not to engage with Sasuke-san. Karin huffed, crossing her arms and pouted.

"It's been like 2 years since we have seen him! Don't you think he would miss me?"

"Yeah, he missed you so much, he's fucking another woman just to prove it." Suigetsu snickered. She glared at him angrily.

"He is only doing it to revive his clan! That bitch he's with is just a space warmer and baby maker for when Sasuke-kun comes back to me!" He rolled his eyes.

"That's why he is gonna marry her too? Kabuto said they were without a doubt, engaged. Maybe your precious Sasuke-kun prefers a woman with a little more of a violent streak?" She growled, hitting him on the backside of his head. He pushed her away aggressively.

"The fuck, butch? You are so fucking blind. Sasuke does not want you. If he wanted any of us, he'd still be here, wouldn't he?"

"Karin-san, Suigetsu is right. Sasuke firmly told us that he no longer wished to be within our team and not to track him down. He was to reside in Konoha for as long as he so wishes."

Karin ran ahead of the group, nearing their destination. She will not give up hope on him, no matter the circumstance, he was hers, and she will not share. She just had to wait a little longer, she can be patient, and if she had to, she will fight the medic for Sasuke's love. She deserved it more than her.

 **X**

"Hey, forehead! Are you going to the festival tomorrow?" Sakura took a sip from her tea and swallowed then shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. I don't really have anything nice to sear and I don't want to be a third wheel to you and Kankurou." Ino blushed but tried to brush it off.

"What are you talking about? There is absolutely nothing going between Kanky-chan and I." Sakura rolled her eyes playfully.

"I know better than to believe that! I saw you both last night going into his room. Are you gonna dish out the details?" Ino laughed and sat down next to Sakura.

"Okay, so we were talking about work and then we got into the topic of dating and our sex lives and it got really awkward and then I was trying to break the awkward silence so I kissed him. I thought he wouldn't like it, but he literally picked me up and tried to slam me against the kitchen counter and we almost did it right there but I told him let's go to his room and then, well, yeah." Sakura held her hands over her mouth, trying to mask her open mouth.

"Ugh, forehead, don't look at me like that! You make me feel like what I've done is the most unforgivable thing possible!" Sakura laughed lightly and hugged Ino gently.

"I'm happy for you if you're happy. Do you think, uh, that you're going to be dating him? Or was it more of a one night stand?" Ino sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't know, I was thinking of asking him, and maybe we could go to the festival together. I don't want him to think I'm just an easy lay, I do like him, and he's pretty damn good with his hands, if you know what I mean." Sakura imitated gagging with her fingers. Ino pushed Sakura's shoulder playfully.

"Oh, hush! It's not like you haven't done anything with Gaara!" Sakura scrunched her face and pouted.

"We haven't done anything, ever. We are just friends, I'm sure that Gaara isn't even into that kind of stuff. And before you ask, no he is _not_ gay. He just doesn't have those feelings."

"Yeah, whatever. He's a man, Sakura. He's going to have those urges regardless. I'm surprised you two haven't hit it off, you're both really good friends and I haven't seen anyone who cares for you as much as Gaara, besides Naruto." Sakura frowned.

"Sasuke-kun cares for me, he is going to be my husband, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but Gaara is a good guy too, if you and Sasuke ever decided not to be together anymore." Sakura looked away, lost in her own thoughts.

Her feelings for Gaara were complicated. She cared for him, as he cared for her. They had a rough past whenever they were kids but they grew closer after she and the rest of her team came to Kankurou and his rescue.

After that time, she and Gaara would visit and write to one another on a regular basis, just talking about village politics, or just about how their missions and lives were going. Whenever Sakura was sad, she knew she could always turn to Gaara for a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen. He became more welcoming to his feelings, realizing that he could harbor feelings of friendship himself.

Sakura and Gaara would be inseparable at times, she would be his escort whenever he had diplomatic visits with other kages or potential trade partners. He simply would not take anyone else besides her to stand beside him in such a manner.

Many people would think that had to be a reason as to why Gaara held her so closely and to such high respects. Rumors on a secret relationship between the two were very high upon the list of national gossip, and to the point that Gaara had to make a professional announcement that he was not romantically involved with anyone at this time, including Sakura. He confirmed that she was only a friend and a very capable woman who he could trust for advice and a second opinion.

Ino waved a hand over her face to break her from her thoughts. Sakura snapped and came back to reality. She had been in deep thought these past few days. If she wasn't thinking about Gaara, or her own recovery, she was thinking about the talk she had with Temari two days ago. She regretted telling her, but she didn't have much of a choice. She would have found out on her own. She just hoped Temari would keep her word. She could fix this, she could fix him. She did it before and she can do it again. Her love was limitless, all you need is love, right?

"You are spacing out a lot. Are you…just thinking about what happened?" Sakura shook her head, rubbing her own hands nervously.

"It's okay if you want to cry, Sakura. We understand, it has to be hard having to think about it. I just want you to know we are all here for you, you're my best friend. I love you, even your forehead seems to have grown to me." Sakura spit out her tongue and laughed as she hugged her friend.

"Thank you Ino. I am so thankful to have friends like you. It's going to take a long time, but I'm trying to be better. I just wish this didn't have to happen. I can't even dream to have children anymore, and then Sarada, it's hard to move past it. I miss her. I feel so guilty about not being able to protect her. Maybe it's a good thing I can't have children anymore, if I couldn't save Sarada, I would have been a terrible mother anyways." Sakura couldn't tell that she was crying, her heart felt like it had taken a beating, she tried to smile, but it was futile.

Ino pulled her to her and held her closely, patting her back. Ino's own heart felt as though it were on the edge of collapse. There was nothing she could say to make her friend feel better. It hurt having to hear how Sakura felt of herself. She as well as anyone knew that Sakura had always wanted to be a mother, it was her dream. The one dream she thought would be the most attainable and it was taken from her. Her own self respect gone with it. Sakura had been doing better in Therapy, but these moments, they will last her a lifetime. Embedded into her mind will be the constant reminder of what she did to get to where she was and knowing that it wasn't enough. She was never enough.

"Sakura, I'm going to take you to your room. You should rest. I'll talk to Temari about the festival tomorrow, maybe we can all go and have some fun. Okay?" Sakura just nodded, walking aside Ino until she ushered her to bed, and tucked her in. Sakura fell asleep almost instantly.

Ino pulled a chair and watched her best friend sleeping, she wanted to understand everything that her mind and heart were doing to her. She wanted to know how to make it better. She bit her lip but knew there was the one way she could try to help. She held her hands in front of her.

"Shinranshin no Jutsu." She whispered.

She closed her eyes and then reopened. She was now within Sakura's unconscious mind. She held her ears up at the sound waves started piercing around her. She saw Sakura and her team fighting against the Sound ninjas and she saw Kabuto who held Sarada closely to her. She saw him inject her at the base of her spine, hiding behind a hug.

"Sakura-sensei! I can't move, help me!" Ino saw Sarada crying, Sakura was in a state of panic, her attention shifting between Sarada and between the boys who were fighting the group of sound ninjas behind her.

Another sound wave broke into ears and Ino saw the boys fall to the floor, blood pouring from their ears. Ino looked on in horror, these boys fought for their lives and for the team. They fought bravely and with all they could give, but they could not protect themselves against the small army.

Time seemed to speed up, she saw Sakura running to the boys who had fallen, she healed one and signed for him to get help immediately. The boy picked up the other and carried him, running away.

She then saw Kabuto and Sakura fight and Kabuto behind her, injecting her with the same as he had Sarada. Sakura tried to fight it but ultimately failed. She went limp within Kabuto's arms, and he carried her next to Sarada who was paralyzed on the ground.

"Sarada-chan, Sakura-chan, you both are rendered helpless. Will you both try to fight for your lives, or will one sacrifice for the other?" Ino immediately looked to Sakura. She saw her turn to Sarada and speak.

"Sarada, listen to me. Whatever happens, you will stay strong, you are important to me and I will do whatever I can to protect you. I love you as my own daughter. Don't blame yourself for anything."

She then saw Kabuto kick Sakura in the stomach and he bent down, cutting her shirt and bindings clearly open. Sakura tried to close her eyes, Kabuto stabbed her shoulder deeply.

"You will look at me as I take you from your precious Sasuke-kun."

" **Ino, you must leave, now! You cannot see this, you will not see this!"** Ino saw the embodiment of Sakura's inner self, it had been years since she had heard of the inner manifesting again. Ino stood still, she couldn't leave, she had to know what she could do.

"I can't leave, I need to know, I have to help, I need to help! I want to fix this." The inner self scoffed, shaking her head.

" **What you will see is worse than you can imagine. You cannot speak of this to anyone. You will promise to never speak of what you have seen. I will not let Sakura's conscious mind know of your presence, but you must not let her know that you have seen what you are about to see."**

Ino saw Kabuto unbutton his pants, removing them to expose himself. Sarada and Sakura were side by side. Kabuto ripped off Sakura's pants, removing her underwear in tact, however. Kabuto positioned himself over Sakura, forcing his length between legs, thrusting in and out aggressively. Sakura grit her teeth, tears falling. He grabbed a handful of Sakura's hair, pulling it tightly.

"You will scream for me, you will call my name. Sasuke will not want you after this. You will be worthless, I promise. Sakura spat in his face, her eyes piercing through his bravely. He wiped the spit from his cheek, he punched Sakura repeatedly, still forcing his body upon hers.

"Stop it, father, stop it!" Ino was shocked. She looked at Sarada's limp body crying for him to stop. Calling him father. He was her father? Kabuto stopped for a moment. He looked to Sarada with a smirk.

"Did you want to take Sakura's place, Sarada-chan?" Sarada cried harder.

"Leave her alone, Kabuto! You are a coward for trying to hurt her!" Kabuto's attention went back to Sakura. He removed himself promptly, only to turn Sakura onto her stomach, he smashed her face into the dirt, repositioning himself to her bottom. Forcing himself in between her cheeks. Sakura screamed, blood leaking from his assault.

"Keep screaming for me, Sakura-chan, no one will hear you. You should be thankful, I could have done this to Sarada instead." Sakura was wheezing, trying to regain control over her body.

"You are a coward, you are trash! You will not break me, you will not hurt the ones I love!" Kabuto remembered Sakura's undergarment and wrapped it around her neck, choking her violently. Sarada was screaming for him to stop, she closed her eyes and went unconscious.

"We will have to see about that, won't we Sakura-chan? Oh, what's that? I can't hear you over you choking. What a shame." He loosened the underwear around Sakura's neck, thrusting into her one last time, releasing himself.

Sakura's eyes full of tears and anger. Kabuto redressed himself then brought out a rusty kunai from his pouch.

"I almost forgot to give Sasuke-kun a parting gift." He turned Sakura's body back around and inserted it deep within her, making a swift, circular movement. Sakura screamed the loudest she could scream, but no sound could falter. Her eyes dimmed as she fell unconscious.

Ino was crying, why had this have to happen to Sakura? This, this was so brutal. How could anyone expect Sakura to get over this? How could Sasuke be upset with Sakura for seeking therapy, if it had happened to her, Ino would have taken her own life. This was barbaric, this sick man knew what he was doing, Sakura was the one who had to sacrifice so much just to save the ones she loved.

" **Now you see what has happened, but there is so much more to the story than even Sakura knows. You must be wary of those in sheep's clothing, for they will be back. Sakura is in danger, the only one who can save her, is herself."** Ino dispelled the technique, bringing herself out of the nightmare. This nightmare was Sakura's reality. What could she do? Why did she think she could make any of this better?

Ino willed herself to restrain anymore tears from escaping. She saw Sakura's face distort and turn and then heard the scream.

Ino went to Sakura's side, holding her tightly, trying to calm her down. The door to Sakura's room swung open, Gaara standing them, rushing to Sakura's side. Ino saw the concern in Gaara's eyes, he swept her hair away from her eyes, trying to wake her up gently.

"Sakura, it's okay, I'm here. We are all here. You are okay, wake up." Sakura opened her eyes weakly, seeing both Gaara and Ino. She hugged them both and cried.

"I thought I was getting better, why did it come back to haunt me? Why do I have to suffer?" Ino noticed Gaara taking Sakura into his arms, holding her closely against his chest. He rested his chin on top of Sakura's head, his fingers brushing through her hair.

Sakura slowly calmed down, the tears no longer falling. She merely sighed. Ino brought her a glass of water and a cold compress and wiped her face gently.

"Do you want to see Sari-san, Sakura?" Sakura shook her head and yawned.

I just need some time alone. I don't know why it felt so much more intense this this, it felt like it was happening all over again. I felt so helpless." Gaara nodded his head, still comforting her closely.

"I will be here with Sakura, Ino-san. If you would like to leave and clear your head, you may do so." Ino hugged Sakura one last time before leaving her room. She noticed Kankurou lingering nearby.

"Kankurou, you, you were one of the people who found Sakura, right?" he clenched his fists but nodded. Ino looked away.

"It was bad, wasn't it?"

"This Kabuto bastard will die at my hand if I can arrange it. I want the satisfaction of ending his sick and worthless existence." Ino found herself drawn to Kankurou, walking into his arms.

"Kankurou, I, I did something stupid." He looked down at her, confused. He loosened his arms, only for Ino to cling onto him tightly.

"I went into her subconscious. I saw it. I saw everything. I saw, I had to watch what he did to her. He was going to rape Sakura's student, Sakura offered herself instead, Sakura didn't want Sarada to get hurt. He made Sarada watch everything."

Kankurou was quiet, then silently pulled Ino into his room.

"Ino, why did you go into her mind, what did you think you would accomplish?" He asked angrily.

"I wanted to understand! I wanted to help her, I, I never thought it was this bad, I never thought he would have done all of this, it made me sick to my stomach, I can't imagine how Sakura is supposed to get better after this. I wanted to take away all of her pain, but this? I can't even think of how this nightmare could be Sakura's life, how is it expected she ever heal? She's strong, but this, this is sick! I just want to take it back, if I could, I would take her place! She didn't deserve this." Kankurou interrupted her softly.

"No one deserves this, even you, Ino. Taking her place would leave you just as she is, why do you think Sakura sacrificed herself to save her student?" Ino knew why Sakura did it.

"Sakura would sacrifice her very life for the people she is meant to protect. She would rather take that pain instead of someone else bearing it. There is so much pain and hurt she possesses, how can she live like this, Kankurou? What can we do to help?"

Kankurou pulled Ino close to him, holding her gently and lifted her chin up to give her a kiss on the lips.

"We just need to support her, like we have been doing. There is nothing more we can do but that. Ino, tell me, was there anything strange about Sakura's dream that was out of place? Temari has been acting strange about Sakura lately, but she won't tell me anything."

Ino debated on talking about Sakura's inner self, it wasn't a secret by any means, but it was such a rare occurrence for the inner self of Sakura to ever show.

"Sakura has another part of her, we don't really know if it's a spirit, or what, but we deemed it as her 'Inner Sakura' persona. Sometimes, Inner Sakura will give advice or will act as Sakura's true feelings." Ino paused, looking at Kankurou's face of disbelief.

"I know it sounds crazy, but that's just what it is. Do you remember in the Chunin exams all those years ago when I used my mind transfer jutsu on her and she broke out of it? She didn't break me out, it was her inner self, her inner self forced me out."

"Alright, I believe you. Now what does 'Inner Sakura' have to do with anything?"

"Her inner self told me that Sakura was in danger. She said to watch out for those in sheep's clothing. Sakura is the only one who can save herself from this danger. She didn't really specify anything else. Inner Sakura didn't want me there to began with, but she knew I would put up a fight. Inner Sakura was weaker than she usually was, I think it has to do with Sakura's weakened state of mind."

Kankurou thought and looked to Ino. He sighed and sat on his bed, he sighed.

"Is there anything we can do?" Ino shook her head as she took a seat beside Kankurou. She laid her head against his shoulder.

"Like you said, we can only be there for her. It sucks feeling so helpless, but we don't have much of a choice, do we?" Kankurou smirked and nodded his head. He turned and pulled Ino to lay down against him. She blushed slightly but smirked at him as well.

"So what do you think about us? Is this just for fun, or what?"

"Whatever you want it to be, I always had a thing for blondes." Ino wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him on top of her and kissed him passionately.

"Good, because we're going to the festival tomorrow, and I'll be sure to wear something nice for later." He chuckled and kissed her back, he held out his hand, forcing strings of chakra to close his door and locked it tightly.

 **X**

A beautiful white and tan kimono adorned her body. A floral print cascading from the side and a brown obi, tied against her waist. Her hair was down fully, however she decided to give it some curls. A nice style she hadn't tried before. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She felt pretty today.

A knock on the door came and she opened it immediately.

"Oh, Gaara, you look so handsome!" Sakura smiled, he smiled back.

"You look very lovely as well, Sakura. I had something I wanted to give you, I think it would look good with your outfit." He pulled out a peony from behind his back, he placed it in her hair. She smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Gaara. I love it." He hugged her back, smiling as well. Thankful she could not see his blush, he let the hug savor for a few moment so he could get it under control.

"Are you ready to go, Sakura?" She nodded her head and linked her arm in his. They met up with Temari, Shikamaru, Kankurou and Ino. Chouji had seemed to have left for food.

"Sakura, I have a make a speech, but I will be back soon." Sakura smiled and nodded.

He disappeared in the gust of sand and was up at his podium.

"Welcome everyone, to the fifth annual Festival of Sunagakure. We are honored to welcome allies from the Village Hidden in the leaves, Konohagakure. We welcome Chouji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Sakura Haruno. Their loyalties to their village and to our alliance is strong and we are forever grateful for their efforts in keeping our alliance strong. To celebrate yet another year of our Alliance, we will be having a fireworks show in their honor in one hour. Thank you all for coming."

The crowd cheered, Sakura looked around and noticed everyone had gone their separate ways, but Gaara was back at her side. He smiled, offering his arm to her. She smiled and walked side by side him.

They came across a small booth that was offering a trinket souvenir of Sunagakure. It was a necklace, the symbol of Sunagakure laced in gold. Gaara noticed Sakura eyeing the attraction he smiled and brought her inside.

"Hello Kazekage-sama! Sakura-sama, did you want a try for our grand prize?" Gaara nodded.

"Oh Gaara, you don't have to!" Sakura tried to convince him but he shook his head. The vendor placed a blindfold over Gaara's eyes and began to explain the game.

"Alright, Kazekage-sama. The game is to guess which cup the grand prize resides in. The challenge is knowing real from fake. You will not be able to see what you are choosing and you only get one chance. Are you ready?" Gaara nodded.

Gaara moved his hand out in front, about to choose. He moved his hand to the bottom right corner, second to last cup and grabbed hold of it.

"Is this your final selection, Kazekage-sama?" Gaara nodded and the blindfold was removed. He removed the necklace out of the cup.

"Congratulations, Kazekage-sama! You have picked the grand prize!" the vendor congratulated. Gaara held up the necklace and turned to Sakura and placed it around her neck. She blushed.

"Gaara, you don't have to give this to me, I know it's very pretty, and everything, I don't have to have it." He kissed her forehead gently as he closed the clasp on the necklace, it dangling on her chest.

"You deserve it, Sakura." Was all he said as he walked away with her. Sakura's heart was racing, she held her hand within Gaara's. All of a sudden, he grabbed hold of Sakura and transported each other onto a tall cliff, overlooking the festival.

Sakura turned to Gaara, he was smiling into the sky and pointed. The fireworks were just starting.

"This is so beautiful, Gaara. It's so nice seeing it from up here, too." Sakura laid against Gaara's body, his arm wrapped around hers.

The fireworks show consisted of many different shapes, leaves, the Konohagakure symbol, various other things. Gaara sneaked a peak at Sakura who was so focused on the fireworks, her eyes lightened, the moonlight shining down on her face.

The finale of the fireworks show was an explosion of flowers, native to Sunagakure and the last was of a cherry blossom, it illuminated throughout the sky.

Sakura looked at Gaara and he returned her gaze. She placed her hands against Gaara's chest, she felt his racing heart, and feeling her own heart race at the same speed. These feelings were different than what she felt from Sasuke, this ultimate feeling of being one and whole. The feeling of utter protection, intimacy, and, and, **Love.**

Sakura felt her throat go dry, her face getting closer to Gaara's She parted her lips, ready to place them upon his.

"Kazekage-sama, there is a disturbance, you are needed immediately." Sakura pulled away. Gaara nodded, he brought both he and Sakura back to the festival area. He left her in Temari's presence. Aggravated at whoever dare come into his village to cause mischief.

Sakura watched him leave, and with him, her heart began to flutter and ache at the same time. What is happening? Why is she feeling this, she and Gaara have been friends, she doesn't feel more than friendship for him. She can't.

" **The love of a friend is the strongest love of all."** She couldn't fathom her inner most thoughts. What about Sasuke, what about their engagement? She cannot let go of that dream, she has spent so many years, so many tears, so much effort on him. She cannot give that up, could she?

This will be what haunts her this night. She's not sure if it is better or worse than her nightmares. She is in love with her best friend, and he is not Sasuke Uchiha.

 **X**

A/N: Thank you all for your patience, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Team Hebi/Hawk/whatever they're called made that appearance, oooh~ I wonder where they are headed. ;) Sakura is going back to Konoha next chapter as well, Shikamaru's personal mission will bring a lot of questions and drama. And what's this? I am getting a vision of red clouds and eyes. I wonder who this may be. Please Review and let me know your thoughts! Thank you all!

Miyaka Hana


	5. Independence Day

A/N:Thank you all again for reading and following my story! I hope you are enjoying it as much as my frequent updates. I am aware that I have been releasing some one shots here and there, mostly to keep inspiration flowing and to bounce off ideas and keep the creative juices going, ne? In between chapters, I think I will be introducing one shots of several other couples.

The next one I am planning on is a KakaSaku one shot, however, it will not be a happy ending. Anyways, if anyone would like to request a one shot, please feel free to send me a message or write a review. I am very responsive. Now onto this fifth chapter of TBCB. We will see where Team HebiHawkOrochislaves are heading to and how our loveliest and most favorite Akatsuki are doing. Psst, not Deidara, the other one. Yeah.

 **The Blood Cherry Blossom**

 **Chapter Five: Independence Day**

" _Okay, Suigetsu, Juugo, you two are gonna ignite some smoke bombs at down at the festival and I will check on Sasuke-kun's slut." Suigetsu looked at Karin plainly and rolled his eyes._

" _Why are you going to check on her? Why are we getting the stupid job of setting off some stupid harmless bombs?" Karin pushed up her glasses and scrunched her face._

" _Because, if you two are seen, people will be more afraid of you than they would be afraid of me. With your face, and everything." She snickered. He glared at her and threw a rock at her to which she dodged and pouted._

" _What the hell? You're gonna draw attention to us! Idiot!" He grinned._

" _Whatever, just go spy on the chick and we'll do the hard part, as always. Come on Juugo." They disappeared within a blink of an eye. Karin rolled her eyes again and started searching for Sakura. Once she caught the track of her chakra, she found her and the Kazekage on top of a cliff outside of the festival._

 _She hid herself promptly, masking her chakra accordingly and listened and watched on._

" _This is so beautiful, Gaara. It's so nice seeing it from up here, too." She heard Sakura say. Sakura was leaning very close to Gaara. Gaara placed his arm around her waist, holding her closely._

 _She noticed Gaara looking at Sakura as Sakura was focusing on the fireworks show. His eyes looked to her so fondly. Surely the Kazekage didn't like Sasuke-kun's fiancé. Pft, impossible. What use could the Kazekage have with a wench like her? She was supposed to be Sasuke-kun's baby maker, what use could she serve him?_

 _Karin's eyes widened as she saw Sakura and the Kazekage face each other. Sakura placed her hands on the Kage's chest and they looked deeply into one another's eyes. Her face getting closer to his, she closed her eyes and then out of no where, one of the Kazekage's servants showed up, and Sakura pulled away immediately._

' _That little tart is cheating on Sasuke-kun! Wait until he hears about this, then he will definitely come back to me!'_

 _Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo regrouped outside of the village, planning to make their next trip to Konoha. Karin held a smug grin on her face, concerning both Suigetsu and Juugo of her intentions._

" _What did you see, Karin-san? Did you find Sasuke-san's fiancé?" Karin simply nodded, not giving out any details. This will be her own mission. She will tell Sasuke of Sakura's infidelity and he will leave her and come back to her and return to Sound. It was the perfect plan, really. Foolproof._

" _Whatever she has planned cannot be good. She's not opening her big trap for once. She's definitely scheming." Karin broke out of her thoughts of her and Sasuke to hit Suigetsu's shoulder._

" _Shut up! We need to focus on finding Sasuke-kun now." They merely agreed and set off to Konoha._

 **X**

"Sneaking into Konoha was a lot easier than I thought it would be, eh Juugo? These stupid leaf shinobi are slacking." Juugo nodded his head and followed his teammates to find Sasuke.

Karin led them to the Uchiha compound, Sasuke was home. Alone. Perfect, she laughed internally. They caught sight of him throughout a window. His eyes turned red glaring out.

"Suigetsu, Juugo, Karin. I know you are there. What do you want?" They walked into his presence.

"It's been what, two years, Sasuke-buddy. No need to be so brash." Suigetsu tried to pat Sasuke on the back but his hand was caught in air, Sasuke glaring down at him.

"What are you doing here? Answer me now, Or I will be forced to end your pathetic lives." Suigetsu snorted, retracting his hand and sat down on his couch.

"Ya see, well, Kabuto and Orochimaru wanted us to check up on you, ya know, see how you were doing and all that. Make sure you're alive and everything, maybe see about getting you back but eh, what can ya do?" Sasuke eyes stayed red, and snarled.

"Leave. I am not going back. I have business to attend to here. I need to revive my clan, then I will think of returning." Karin saw her chance and smirked.

"Oh Sasuke-kun! You know you could revive your clan with me, right? Since your fiancé is getting fresh with the Kazekage and everything." Sasuke's eyes began to spin as his hand went to Karin's neck, pinning her against the wall. He growled.

"What are you talking about, Karin? Tell me now." Karin struggled for air and Sasuke loosened his grip slightly to give her a chance to speak.

"She… she was with the Kazekage, they were having a festival and he took her on this cliff… She was leaning on him and then she was about to kiss him…. Then they got interrupted and left."

Sasuke released her throat and she fell to the floor, breathing heavily, coughing.

"All of you, leave. I will contact you whenever I am ready." Suigetsu picked up Karin and left with Juugo in a rush.

Sasuke growled and punched the door with all his might, his hand going through it directly. He looked up, talking to himself.

"You are mine, and you will stay mine."

 **X**

"We are going to miss you so much, Sakura! You better keep writing to Gaara and us, and come back to visit!" Temari hugged Sakura tightly and she returned the hug. Kankurou gave her a small smirk and pulled her into a short hug.

"Yeah, come back soon Sakura. And bring your friend Ino with ya, yeah?" Sakura rolled her eyes while smiling.

Gaara stood last, he was smiling at her, and she smiled back at him. He held his arms out to which she complied. She hugged him the longest and the tightest. It seemed to last forever in his arms, but she knew that she had to go. It was time to go home. She released and let a few tears fall. He leaned down and wiped her tears away.

"Let me know when you have arrived safely." She smiled and nodded her head and gave him one last hug. Temari and Kankurou giggling to themselves. Their little brother, they knew, they knew their little brother cared for Sakura so much deeper than he cared for anyone.

"Come on, Forehead! We gotta get going, I'm sure that Naruto and Sasuke will be waiting for you." Ino had stayed behind with Sakura for the remainder of Sakura's therapy. Ino refused to go back without Sakura, she had grown even more protective of Sakura than before. After seeing what she had to go through, she couldn't let Sakura be alone. She would be there for her. No matter what.

Ino noticed Sakura holding onto her necklace and kept looking down at it, smiling. Ino knew that Gaara had given it to her. It made her happy, seeing her friend smile. After all that she had been through, she deserves to be happy.

Ino was skeptical of Sasuke's intentions whenever he returned. She did not love Sasuke, it took her some time to realize that. After his defection, she could not respect him as a person or as a crush. He was a traitor and she did not have time nor space in her heart to keep him.

But Gaara. Ino noticed the way Gaara interacted with Sakura, with such fondness, admiration. His eyes would smile when he looked at her. The last time Ino saw him, he was a bloodthirsty thirteen year old trying to aid in the attack against her village. He had come so far.

Gaara was there for Sakura when she needed him most. He was there for her after Kabuto attacked. He was there for her when she had her nightmares, he was there when she needed a shoulder to cry on, he was always there.

He loved her.

Ino kept that thought to herself. Maybe Sakura will realize it on her own. Perhaps, she already knew.

They finally neared the gate of Konoha. She held Sakura's hand tightly as they walked through the gates they were greeted by Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade, and the rest of their friends. However, Sasuke was not present.

Sakura was lifted from the ground by her teacher, Tsunade spinned her around, holding her tightly.

"Oh, Sakura. I have missed you so much." Sakura smiled and hugged her teacher back. Naruto and Kakashi joined in the hug, Sakura laughed.

Suddenly, she felt two adolescent boys run and wrap their arms around her waist. She looked down, tears in her eyes.

"We missed you, Sakura-sensei! Hidaru and I have been working so hard, we just made Chunin last week!" Sakura bent down and looked at her boys in admiration. It was only then that she noticed that Jarusko's Hi-tai-ite changed.

"Jarusko, is that-" Sakura couldn't finish. He smiled sadly but nodded. Sakura felt her fingers graze over the cold metal.

'This way, Sarada-chan will always be with me. She's a hero, right Sakura-sensei?" Sakura looked to her two boys, they had grown up without her over the past few months, she looked on in pride. They are so strong. She pulled them both into another hug, letting her tears be her guide.

"I am so proud of you boys, Shino has done a wonderful job training you both. I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends, and such wonderful students."

Hidaru signed to Sakura that he was thankful to have her as his sensei. She laughed sadly. Hidaru suffered in the battle with the sound nin more-so than Jarusko. After he was treated at Suna, it was determined that he was permanently deaf. He learned to read lips and could make out vibrations, he worked very hard to maintain himself despite his handicap. It made Sakura feel even more proud than before.

Tsunade noticed the necklace around Sakura's neck and smirked.

"Ooh, what a gorgeous necklace, Sakura. Did Gaara get that for you?" Sakura blushed and laughed lightly.

"He won it for me in a game. He had the Festival of our Alliance a month ago. It was really nice." Naruto raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"Did ol' Gaara try to pull the moves on you, Sakura-chan?" He joked; expecting her to hit him he ducked, only to see her blushing furiously.

"O-of course not! Naruto, you baka!"

 **X**

"Ey, Itachi. Why are we going to Konoha again? We're not hunting the biiju anymore." Itachi was silent as he ran.

"It seems as though my little brother is getting married. I think I should meet my little sister in law." Kisame chuckled but nodded none the less.

 **X**

Sasuke was acting very odd for the past month, Shikamaru noted. He would train at odd hours within the night, staying within the Uchiha compound during the day as much as he could, save for missions or grocery shopping. Very interesting.

Shikamaru would trail him to an old abandoned training ground, it happened every night, three am on the dot. He would be there until six am. Then he would return home.

It seemed as though he was training his genjutsu on wild life. A little much, Shikamaru thought at first, until one nigh in which a deer was caught upon his genjutsu and collapsed. He merely left the wild life there and traveled home. Shikamaru went back to check on the deer No pulse. It seemed it had a heart attack.

There was not really any code of ethics when it came to murdering animals, but the way he used mental torture to such a degree that an animal's heart would ultimately stop, that did not settle with him. Something was brewing with the Uchiha and Shikamaru had no idea how to stop it.

 **X**

Temari gripped onto the letter tightly, snarling at it.

"That fucking Uchiha is planning something, I know it. God damnit Sakura, open your eyes!"

 **X**

The welcome back party for Sakura was relatively big, everyone from every which way came to offer her hugs and condolences, asking if she was better now and any other question they could think of.

Sakura took it all in stride, she knew they were worried for her, they didn't know that some questions will be a little harder to answer than others, but she kept it together. She felt a lot better than she did several months ago.

She was having fun, although thinking about Sasuke and their relationship. Sakura would glance at her own chest, looking at the necklace Gaara had given to her. It shimmered under the lights, she held it. Her heart would flutter, knowing that it was given to her from someone who cared deeply for her.

She smiled, she knew what she had to do.

It was Two am when she walked into the compound and reached her home, Sasuke's home. She took a deep breath and opened the door, walking inside.

"Sasuke." She breathed out. He was sitting on their couch, his legs crossed. He stood up and walked to her, attempting to kiss her. She pulled away. He glared at her.

'I haven't seen you in so long and the moment I try to kiss you, you push me away." Sakura gulped.

"I am going back to active duty, Sasuke. I am going to get a new genin team to train, and I will start taking missions again." Sasuke scoffed.

"Says who? We already talked about this, Sakura. You are working at the hospital. No more missions, and definitely no new team of snot nosed brats. We are trying to have a family, or have you forgotten?"

"I have not forgotten, I have realized what is most important to me. I do not do well as a simple housewife, Sasuke. I never have, and I refuse to let go of who I am. Not for you, and not for anyone." He snarled, grabbing her wrist, she turned it out and backed away.

"You can't control me anymore, Sasuke. I never should have given you that power over me. I will not make that same mistake again." Sasuke looked down onto her chest, noticing the necklace around her neck. He grabbed at it aggressively, Sakura grabbed his wrist with a force, making him release his grip.

" _He_ gave this to you, didn't he? You were cheating on me, weren't you?" Sakura looked him dead in the face, she stood her ground.

"He did give this to me, and I have not cheated on you. Albeit it, I should have, I stayed faithful to you until our engagement was called off." Sasuke growled and pushed her to the floor. Sakura stayed down for a minute, not leaving her gaze. She glared unto her ex lover.

"You are mine, you will always be mine. He can not have you."

"I am not a trophy for you to claim, Sasuke. I am a person with feelings. I need more than what you are willing to give." She retorted. Sasuke grabbed her arms, forcing her against the door.

"What more can he give you that I can't?" She spat in his face.

"Real love." Her answer angered him further, he retracted his fist and made contact to her face. She seethed in pain, she focused Chakra into her legs, and kicked his stomach, knocking him away from her.

"After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me? You said you would love me forever, what happened to your promise?"

"What happened to yours? You said you would never hurt me again, and look where we are now." His eyes turned red with fury, he charged at her, she gathered chakra into her fists, punching his face until she heard a small crack.

He stopped for a moment, feeling his face, the blood falling from his forehead. He started to laugh. Sakura looked on worried, what had she done? She defended herself, this had to end. She was done.

"I'm leaving Sasuke. I am done. I will not marry you." She turned around to leave, only for him to pull her into a choke hold. His arm pressed tightly against her neck, she screamed.

"If I can't have you, no one can." He placed his hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her cries. She bit down forcefully, drawing blood and forcing him to release. She kicked her legs rapidly, until he threw her against their glass coffee table. The table shattered immediately, embedding directly into her skin.

She laid on the floor briefly, Sasuke walked over, grabbing her by the biceps and dragged her to their bedroom.

"I will make you remember who you belong to." She screamed longer, hoping someone will hear. She propped her feet against the door frame, refusing for him to take her.

He jerked her arms and heard a pop, she cried out in pain. He picked up her broken body and threw her on the bed. He grabbed her face and made her look into his spinning eyes. She tried to close her eyes but it was too late. Sakura tried to break out, only to find it was useless. Her surroundings began to warp around her, until a familiar scene came upon her gaze.

"Sakura-chan, won't you have me again? This time, Sasuke-kun will watch." Sakura began to heave, clenching to her head.

"Please, don't do this Sasuke. Don't do this to me!" She cried.

"Sakura-sensei, why couldn't you save me? I thought you loved me."

"Sakura-sensei, you killed Sarada-chan!

"You are not worth happiness. You belong to me. You do not deserve love. You are but a tool for me to exploit, you will not leave. You are mine. Forever."

Sakura screamed as she relived her assault. Sarada's death. It was all her fault. How could she think of being happy?

"You are worthless."

Sakura was fully unclothed once Sasuke released her. He picked up her body, returning her to the living room and dropping her onto the glass. Her eyes dimmed, she tried to lift her head up to see Sasuke bending down. He lifted her chin up and kissed her roughly.

"You are mine Sakura. You will never be anyone else's but mine. If I can't have you, no one can."

"Why, Sasuke… Why are you doing this?"

"I never loved you. How could I love someone so weak? How could I love someone so annoying? You were nothing more than a means to revive my clan. You were so stupid to think I ever loved you."

Sakura laid her head back down, she did not move.

"Please, just kill me. I don't want to live anymore."

Sasuke made a swift kick into her chest, she felt her ribs crack, she gasped for air, blood leaking from her mouth.

"You don't deserve a quick death. You deserve to suffer."

He spat on her body.

"You're still annoying."

She felt him leave. She wouldn't move. She closed her eyes, awaiting for her death.

"I-I'm s-so sorry… G-gaara. I l-love you…" With the last amount of strength she could muster, she ripped her necklace off and kissed it. Her arm fell to her side, the necklace sliding away from her.

 **X**

Temari couldn't take it anymore. She had to tell Gaara, there is no shadow of a doubt within her mind that Sakura was in danger. She barged into Gaara's office, huffing and anxious.

He looked at his sister.

"Temari, what is the meaning of this?"

"There's no time to explain, but Sakura is in danger, I couldn't tell you before, but Sakura is in danger, we have to do something, now!" It only took a brief second for Gaara to process the information, he emerged from his seat.

"You need to tell me, now. What is happening? Before I can act, I need details, Temari."

Temari took several breaths, her anxiety causing her to tremble.

"The Uchiha, he has been acting weird. I had Shikamaru keep an eye on him but Shikamaru told me that he has been killing wild life with genjutsu."

"And how does this pertain to Sakura?"

"Damnit Gaara, he's abusing her! I don't know what he's planning but-"

"I am going to Konoha. You will stay here and take care of everything, Temari."

 **X**

Three am, on the dot. Sasuke is walking towards his usual training spot, but has existing injuries. Shikamaru became suspicious.

"Oi, Uchiha. What are you doing out here so late?" Sasuke glared and kept walking on. Shikamaru followed.

"I am minding my own business, perhaps you should do the same." Shikamaru sighed, he hated having to converse with Sasuke. But he promised Temari to keep an eye on him. This was far more unusual than normal. His personality was extremely on edge.

"Shouldn't you be at home with Sakura? She just came home, I'd think you'd be wanting to spend time with her, and whatever." Sasuke kept walking on.

"She will be fine on her own. Now stop pestering me and leave." Something in Shikamaru's conscious told him to check on Sakura. For once, he will leave Sasuke to his own devices.

He disappeared from Sasuke's sight, heading to the compound. He could feel fear settle at the bottom of his gut, he braced it as he opened the door. His eyes went to her stiff body on the floor. He lifted her up, smacking her face, trying to wake her up.

"Sakura, you need to wake up. Come on, we know you can wake up, you're strong, come on, Sakura, wake up!" His heart raced as he tried looking for her pulse. There was one, it was weak, but there was one.

"P-please let me die… Sh-shikamaru…" He wrapped his jacket over her naked body and carried her into his arms, about to leave.

"No Sakura, you aren't dying tonight. We will make sure Sasuke doesn't get away with this."

"Oi, hand over the Kunoichi." Shikamaru looked up to notice a tall man, skin a dark blue, his teeth sharp. He cursed. Akatsuki.

"What would you want with Sakura? If you didn't notice, she needs medical attention." He tried to move, but found he was frozen.

"Hand over my dear sister in law." Uchiha Itachi. Shikamaru's eyes widened. His own technique was being used against him. He cursed. Itachi held his arms out, forcing Shikamaru to replicate. He tried to fight it, but to no avail. Kisame chuckled and took the beaten body from his grasp.

Kisame removed his cloak and wrapped it around her body.

"Can't let the kunoichi get sick, can we?" Shikamaru glared at the blue skinned Akatsuki.

"What do you want with Sakura? Answer me!" Kisame shrugged his shoulders.

"You should ask Itachi. It was his plan, after all." Itachi released the jutsu.

"You will not follow. I will take to her injuries. She will be fine." Itachi walked over to Shikamaru and placed an item within his hand.

"I believe this was the kunoichi's, make sure it is handed to the one of the sand." Within moments they were gone. Shikamaru looked into his hand and felt his heart writhe in pain.

 **X**

As Gaara began to leave his office, Niko appeared before him with a letter.

"Kazekage-sama! Temari-san! It's from Konoha, it is urgent!

Gaara took the letter in haste and read quickly. His face was filled with rage.

"The Uchiha is herby a national threat and will be executed on sight. Make sure of it, Temari. I am going to Konoha now."

He disappeared within a whirlwind of sand. Temari read the letter

" _Sasuke was seen injured on his way to training. He was intercepted and gave vague answers. I went to check on Sakura, she was unclothed and resting in a pile of her own blood. She was barely conscious. I picked her up and was confronted by two Akatsuki: Kisame and Itachi. They demanded I hand her over, Itachi initiated my clan jutsu, and took Sakura. Their plans for Sakura were not stated but stated that she will be healed. Come to Konoha immediately."_

"Fucking Uchiha!" Temari yelled, her first making contact with the desk, breaking it in half.

 **X**

Sakura looked weakly up at her captors, or rather, saviors. She was unsure at this time.

"W-what do you want from me, I-itachi? I-I am not marrying your brother anymore…" He didn't respond. She looked up at Kisame and coughed. The metallic taste of her own blood lingered the back of her throat.

"Don't worry, Pinky. We're gonna be taking you to Sasori, he'll fix ya up nicely." She coughed again, trying to speak.

"I knew I couldn't have gotten rid of him that easily…" Kisame chuckled.

"Oh, yeah. You were the one who killed him. You did a pretty fine job of it, Pinky, the only reason he's alive now is because of Kakuzu. He gave up one of his hearts so Sasori could be revived. Something about Sasori's death being too expensive and a waste of money, or something." Sakura laughed lightly, somewhat startling the two Akatsuki members.

"You know, you all don't sound nearly as bad as your reputations suggests… if I didn't know any better, I could say, you all were relatively normal…" Kisame snorted.

"Don't go ruining our reputation now, Pinky. That's how we make our money, you know. Kakuzu is very stingy, if we don't make our money, he starts to get on everyone's nerves." She smiled weakly and nodded.

"Not like I'll have anyone to tell, right? Who would believe me, anyway?"

"For someone who almost died, you are quite talkative." Sakura nodded her head.

"I've been healing myself since you took me. I just can't do much with my shoulders dislocated… It's much harder to focus chakra to my hands when my body is out of alignment."

Itachi stared at her blankly, his little brother didn't waste his time trying to choose her, she would have made a fine choice to bring some strong genes into their bloodline.

Uchiha were physically strong, no doubt, but their talents were more revered in Genjutsu. He knew what this kunoichi was capable of. The fifth Hokage's apprentice, a master of Medical Ninjutsu and Chakra filled Taijutsu. She could crack the earth with her pinky. How foolish could his brother have been to drive this woman away?

"Itachi." She called for his attention.

"Hm?"

"You should have killed your brother." He looked at, not amused, nor angry.

"Why is that, Kunoichi?" She laughed a little too much to be considered normal.

"Pinky is a little nuts, I see."

"Sasuke is exactly what you tried to prevent in your clan." He didn't respond.

"Alright, Pinky. It's time for you to take a nap." She obliged, drifting off into a deep sleep.

Kisame could tell that her words had some sort of effect on Itachi. He seemed a little more on guard than normal, more tense. They walked for about an hour in absolute silence.

Sakura began to stir within Kisame's arms, mumbling words that he could not decipher. She began shaking and then she screamed. Her voice radiated against the thin, cold, air.

He shook her body, attempting to release her from her nightmare. Her eyes opened wide and tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry…"

"You're okay, Pinky. Just calm down. We can't keep having you scream like that, you might attract big, bad men." She couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

"It's funny, the big, bad men that everyone condemns are the very same people who took me away from the real bad man in my life."

 **X**

Sari opened her eyes at the sound of knocking at her door. She checked the time, it was 4:26am. She yawned and wrapped a robe around her body before answering the door.

"Kankurou-san? Kazekage-sama? What are you doing here so late? Is everything alright?"

"Sari-san, I need you to get clothes and supplies ready. You will be accompanying Kankurou and I to Konoha."

"Is this about Sakura? Did she need to talk to me? Is she okay?" Kankurou had his fists clenched, anxious to leave.

"It appears that Sakura has been attacked by the Uchiha, but you probably knew about that, isn't that right, Sari-san?" Sari's eyes widened, fully awake.

"Is she okay? I will get my things immediately." She was ready within five minutes. The started their travel outside the village in a hurry.

"Sari-san, I need you to tell me what you know of Sakura and the Uchiha. Your rules of Confidentiality are no longer valid in the case of attempted murder." She choked on air, clenching to her backpack.

"He tried to kill her? But why-" She didn't understand why she was going to ask. She knew.

" _This is our last session before you go home, Sakura. Are you excited?" she smiled and nodded. Fiddling with the necklace around her neck._

" _I am feeling a lot better. A little anxious, but I think it's time for me to move on." Sari tilted her head in question. Sakura giggled._

" _I think… I think I am going to leave Sasuke. Being here has opened my eyes, I don't think he loves me anymore. If he ever did, but Gaara…" she trailed, clenching to the necklace, she smiled._

" _He was always there, whenever I needed someone to talk to, cry with, or just sit in silence with. Whenever I was scared, whenever I felt so alone, I knew that he would always be by my side._

" _He has been my best friend through all these years, and he never complained once about my infatuation with Sasuke, no matter how obvious it may have looked. Sasuke didn't treat me the way I deserved, everyone would tell me that Sasuke was using me, telling me that I was stupid to trust someone who betrayed me on more than one occasion._

" _Gaara only stood aside, offering me a friend whenever Sasuke would refuse. He stood aside and let me love someone who didn't love me. It makes me feel so blind to realize that now, I don't love Sasuke anymore. Sometimes, I wonder, if I ever did."_

 _Sari smiled, through out these past several months, Sakura grew and matured. She worked through all of her inner demons, she worked through her blind loyalty to Sasuke._

" _Gaara helped me realize that what I had for Sasuke, and what Sasuke had for me, wasn't really love. Love is kind, it's patient, love is selfless. Love isn't one sided, it's not painful. When I think of love, I don't see Sasuke anymore."_

" _What do you see, Sakura?" Sakura felt tears leak from her eyes, she could only smile and look down at the symbol upon her chest._

" _I see what I have been overlooking for too long. I see the one who was always there. I see Gaara."_

Sari's silence made both Kankurou and Gaara curious.

"I need to know everything about this case, Sari-san." Sari smiled sadly but nodded.

"Sakura informed me that Sasuke had assaulted her once prior to her mission. Then once afterwards, before Sakura told him to leave. Those are the only times that I am aware of."

"That bastard Uchiha is going to die once I get my hands on him. His brother should have taken him out with the rest of their pitiful clan" Kankurou vowed. Gaara kept his pace. The sooner he could get to Konoha, the sooner he can protect her. The sooner he can rid the world of this disturbance.

"Sari-san, do you believe there would be a reason as to why the Uchiha attacked Sakura?" She nodded slightly.

"She was going to leave him." Shocked, Gaara turned to Sari.

"Did she say why?" Sari nodded.

"She realized that she didn't love him anymore."

 **X**

"Uchiha Sasuke, you are to be charged with Attempted murder, you will come with us." Sasuke chuckled.

"If I wanted to kill someone, I would have succeeded, Hyuuga." Suddenly, Sasuke's arm went numb, her turned his head to the side to see two ANBU agents behind him.

"What did you idiots do to me?" He growled. The ANBU with the mask of a mouse flaunted a small vial.

"Something fairly useful to incapacitate criminals such as yourself. You should know, your ex-fiancé created it." The ANBU with the mask of a boar grabbed his arm, ushering him away. He didn't resist. It was only a matter of time, he smirked.

"You bastard! What did you do!? After all that she has been through, why would you do this?!" He saw Ino being held back by Kiba. He merely glared in her direction, unknowing of the punch to come across his face.

"Naruto." He spit out blood. He growled in response, teeth showing.

"I should have known the moment I saw her face. I shouldn't have believed her!" He threw another punch.

"Naruto, stand down. Now." Their eyes averted to their Hokage. Kakashi looked down on Sasuke in disgust.

"You have a lot to explain, Sasuke." He scoffed, overhearing the chanting of 'traitor' as he was forced to follow him into the T&I building. Neji strapped him down a chair in a secluded room before leaving and locking the door.

"Talk, now. You will tell me everything. You wouldn't want me to grab Ibiki again, would you?" Sasuke glared at Kakashi but said nothing. Kakashi sighed.

"You've forced my hand, Sasuke." Swiftly, he injected a blue substance into Sasuke's neck. He screamed, fighting to break out of the restraints. His sharingan flickering on and off.

"What the hell did you give me!?" he barked.

"Just something Sakura had been working on for me, it was made in order to disable doujutsu, but also had a side effect of causing paralysis. She has always been so clever, she was always my favorite student after all."

"If you liked her so much, why didn't you fuck her? Everyone knows you wanted to." Kakashi glared down at him.

"Don't be so vulgar. Everyone knows our relationship was always platonic. You were simply jealous that she would invite me over for dinner."

"Don't forget dessert too, you perverted old fool. You groomed her to be your little toy. She sure as hell wasn't a virgin when I got to her."

Kakashi backhanded him, he merely laughed in response.

"Am I hitting too close to home for you, _Sensei?_ I bet you liked it when she'd call you sensei."

"Stop this foolishness now, Sasuke."

"Please, sensei, more, more. I'm your filthy little girl." He pitched his voice to imitate Sakura.

"Enough! Kakashi, leave this vermin to me. We'll make sure he knows not to speak of things he doesn't understand." Ibiki rushed into the room, Kakashi exiting before closing the iron door firmly.

"What don't I understand? _Hokage-sama_ has a thing for little girls, didn't you know?" He sneered. Ibiki wrapped his hand around Sasuke's throat and squeezed.

"I'm sure that you'd like a little of this, wouldn't you Sasuke _-chan_? I'm sure it brings fond memories of Orochimaru- _kun_."

Sasuke glared intensely at Ibiki. He chuckled.

"Did I hit a nerve, Sasuke-chan? What all did Orochimaru teach you again? How to summon his snake, right?" He growled, attempting to break his restraints only to find he was paralyzed. Ibiki released his grasp on Sasuke's neck and laughed. He pulled his hands behind his back, pacing around the room.

"Why don't you tell me how you got that black eye, Sasuke?

"Why don't you ask Sakura? I'm sure she has told you everything by now." Ibiki stopped, then cackled.

"I guess you're right. I could ask her. But there's a problem. She's not here anymore." Sasuke snorted.

"I didn't think she was that weak to die from such little combat.'

"I never said she was dead, Uchiha. I said she wasn't here. We actually had some company tonight after you left. Too bad, it could have been a nice family reunion."

"What the fuck are you talking about old man?" he smirked.

'You didn't know? Your wonderful older brother came by to give his sister in law a friendly visit. It seems as though she prefers an older man, your brother just couldn't resist by taking her himself."

With all the air his lungs could exhaust, Sasuke screamed out in anger.

"Itachi!"

 **X**

"My, my, my. It has been quite a while since we last saw each other, irony has quite a way of making things interesting." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I could say the same, Sasori. What happened to your body? Did I damage it beyond repair? My mistake." Sasori only chuckled, he pressed down on her right shoulder, popping it back into place. She gave a small cry of pain to which he smirked.

"Try not to let it inflate your ego, I am using a human body while I construct a more, indestructible replacement. Our battle did nothing but give me things of which I could approve on." He moved onto her other shoulder, swiftly realigning it into place. Sakura gave a weak 'thank you' to which Sasori nodded.

"Pray tell, how you got into this condition? I assumed you would have grown in strength since our last, _rendezvous._ " Sakura started off angrily into nothing in particular, her face formed into a feeling of anger.

"I'd rather not explain it, if that's fine with you, Sasori- _danna_." He chuckled.

"Very well, I already know anyways. I just find it amusing seeing you so fragile." Sakura scoffed, her fists clenching.

"For the formidable opponent who defeated me once five years ago, you have surely grown in a few ways, but I see that the younger Uchiha boy still has control over your emotions. What a pity."

"Sasori. Silence, now." Sakura looked to see Itachi in her defense. He did not bother her a glance, he simply grabbed Sakura by her wrist, attempting to walk away.

"Itachi, please refrain from grabbing my wrists." He didn't not respond in words but honored her wishes.

"It was nice seeing you again, little girl. Perhaps we can chat again sometime soon. We may have a task or two for you around here." Itachi lazily glared at Sasori before leaving the room.

Sakura walked with Itachi in silence. Kisame went to report to their leader, she was curious as to why Itachi would have came all the way to Konoha just to retrieve her. It seemed to be much more than a coincidence that he in turned took Sakura away from the monster his younger brother had become.

Sakura began theorizing Itachi's motives. Did he want her to heal his eyes, were they trying to use her for bait against Naruto, or were they just planning to kill her just for the hell of it? Sakura internally growled, she wanted to know what the hell was going on in Itachi's complicated mind. What the hell could she offer him? Even if she were to do either of the first two options, she would likely be killed due to her skills in tracking locations. She would be far too much of a liability to keep alive.

Her thoughts then went to Gaara. He is probably aware of Sasuke now. Temari was a trustworthy friend, she wished she didn't force Temari to secrecy. She should have stayed in Suna with them, she kicked herself mentally for being so damn stubborn.

Gaara would have protected her, cherished her, she would be in his arms instead of in the company of the person who turned Sasuke into the beast he is today. She couldn't blame Itachi, entirely. He was only following orders. She will not let him know she was aware of the mission he was forced to accept. It was either he kill his family, or Konoha would have been left to shambles. Itachi was a hero, if anything. In return for his sacrifice, he was driven into a life as a criminal, all in the name of Sasuke.

You are curious as to why we have brought you here." It wasn't a question. Itachi was a master of reading minds, he had many years of practice.

"You are aware that Orochimaru is still alive, as is his fellow subordinate Kabuto, correct?" Sakura flinched at the mentioning of his name.

"Unfortunately." Sakura murmured. Itachi made a noise which sounded like a very distant cousin of a laugh.

"Your purpose here is to aid the Akatsuki in the extermination of Sound and into the death of Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Madara Uchiha."

"I was under the impression that Madara Uchiha was dead, Itachi. Surely, we are not hunting after ghosts."

"You amuse me with your way of words, _Imouto-chan_. We are not looking into interrupting the afterlife, we are merely giving them more companions. My little brother may join them as well."

Sakura was quiet for a minute. Was Sasuke somehow involved with Sound still, to this day? It annoyed her that all the warnings everyone gave to her two and a half years ago were very much valid. How could she have been so stupid to trust a damn thing Sasuke would say? How could Akatsuki count on Sakura to become part of the driving force to cause Sound its fateful end? What did they even know of her, or of Sasuke, for that matter. How long has this been under wraps?

"You know of things that must not be repeated for the sake Konoha's reputation, in return, I am aware of what has happened, for that reason solely, must it be you to be held responsible for their deaths."

"Why would Akatsuki care about what has happened between Sasuke and I? Is there more than you are not telling me?" He nodded.

"I will explain more later. It is almost time for dinner."

"Oh, uh, Okay. Do you think I could borrow some clothes to wear?"

"Of course. Konan will bring some for you." Itachi led Sakura to the blue haired woman's room and knocked firmly just once. The door opened, the tall woman smiled and welcomed Sakura into her room, Itachi left them to return to his own room.

Konan handed her undergarments, a pair of pants and a short sleeved grey shirt.

"Thank you for the clothes Konan-san." Sakura bowed after dressing herself.

"You are very welcome, Sakura-san. I must apologize on the circumstances of your visit. I am certain that you have had a very long past few days." Sakura quietly nodded.

"If you would like to talk or anything, you are more than welcome to come to me. It is not often that I am in the presence of another girl, it can get quite lonely at times within an organization of men." Sakura giggled, Konan smiled.

"Thank you for your kindness, Konan-san." Suddenly a loud bang filled the air. Sakura rose to her feet in defense. Konan simply sighed.

"I apologize for the noise, Sakura-san. It is what the boys call 'Taco Tuesday' and they seem to fight over who has the best recipe. Hidan and Deidara are fairly competitive and it usually ends up with Deidara blowing up clay tacos. It is rather annoying,"

Sakura couldn't help but to burst out laughing. Something of the sort reminded her of back home in Konoha. Something that Naruto and Kiba would have definitely fought over, except with ramen rather than tacos.

"It is rather amusing how our members act within their personal lives as opposed to on the field. Most would not believe that even we have fun outside of our careers."

" **It is so hilarious that the Akatsuki have more of a life than us. Man, we suck. Why don't we have Taco Tuesdays back home?"** Sakura's inner sulked. Sakura internally rolled her eyes.

" _Because Sasuke is a dipshit who doesn't like anything fun."_

" **I've been telling you that for, how many years? It's about time you got away from him, and just imagine how much it will piss him off if he knows you're with his brother!"** Sakura giggled. Yeah, Sasuke would definitely be pissed. Good, she was so done and over him and everything he had done to her.

" **So, what are you going to do about Gaara? He's probably worried, you know? Plus, you know he would have** _ **loved**_ **having you stay with him longer, maybe even in his room."** Sakura blushed at her inner's words. Konan noticed the seemingly silent conversation Sakura was having with herself.

Interesting.

Another explosion.

"God damnit, Deidara! You and your stupid fucking tacos taste like fucking shit you fucking pansy ass artist!"

Konan sighed.

"Sakura-san, would you care to help me separate the two? We just finished remodeling a month ago and Kakuzu will be furious if he finds the kitchen in ruins." Sakura nodded, giggling to herself. Perhaps, there is a silver lining to this. If anything, an entertaining semi-vacation.

"Art is a blast, un!"

"The only art you're going to be seeing is your blood on the fucking walls, you son of a bitch! Jashin-sama will enjoy your sacrifice immensely!"

Sakura just might enjoy their company a little too much.

 **X**

This chapter gave me so much anxiety writing it. I feel like Sakura may be a little too accepting of the Akatsuki so early, however part of me thinks that after what Sakura has been through, her mindset has been a little warped. She doesn't have nightmares very often anymore, but there will always be triggers. Sakura is just trying to move past everything with an open mind. Regarding the scene with Sasuke and Sakura: Yes, he did assault her. Sakura is not showing any further signs of trauma due to suppression with the help of Inner Sakura. For now… Inner Sakura may have an extremely big part next chapter. Sssh…

Anyways, feel free to review! Also, I would like to ask people for their opinions on me rewriting Hidden in the Music. If I do, I will be discontinuing Hidden in the Past indefinitely, but I will be incorporating its plot into HITM. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Next chapter we will see Gaara confront Sasuke, a glimpse at how Sakura and Gaara's relationship became what it was, and even some more humor with Akatsuki! Or I'll try. I haven't been very successful in writing humor in the past… but we'll see. Maybe we'll even see some Tsunade teaching Sasuke a lesson… (Cackles like a mad woman) Until then, thank you!

Miyaka Hana


	6. Beside Me

A/N: Thank you all for your patience. I have been dealing with a lot of mood swings recently and haven't felt like doing much lately. I thankfully got my motivation back due to the song "Beside You" by Mariana's trench. This chapter was originally going to be about Gaara and Sasuke and then Sakura at Akatsuki, however, I feel that this chapter should be about the depth of Gaara and Sakura's relationship and how it developed.

Thank you all, and secondly, I am currently working on HITM's rewrite/remaster. I would like to give my viewers a chance at getting any of their OC's a chance to be within the story. Please review or message me personally with your oc's and a reason as to why you'd like your oc in the story.

I am also working on a SasuSaku story, I'm debating on if I should make it into a multi-chapter story or a long one-shot, but I'll be working out the kinks. The KakaSaku Oneshot I promised is still a plot bunny, it may manifest until I get around to it, or I find a new muse. I have been debating on writing an alternate ending to my oneshot "30 Minutes". If you haven't read it, please do! It's one of my stories that I am proud of from my old days of writing.

Anyways, I apologize again for the lateness of this chapter and whatnot. Hopefully, I can make this chapter full of GaaSaku Fluffiness. Ouch, someone threw a lemon at me, where'd that come from? Please enjoy!

 **The Bloody Cherry Blossom**

 **Chapter Six: Beside Me**

 _The wind blew through his hair viciously, but he didn't mind. His heart raced, the back of his neck brew a cold sweat. The lump in his throat couldn't go away no matter how hard he'd try and swallow. Her bright emerald eyes seemed to hypnotize him, as though he was under her control._

 _Her pink hair was in a high bun with chopsticks holding it into place. She was wearing a white Yukata with a Cactus flower print. She didn't wear any makeup, not that she would have needed it. Her skin was pale but flawless, her eyes were one of his favorite things about her. She placed her hand onto his cheek._

" _Gaara, are you okay? You're breaking a cold sweat! Come on, we can reschedule this meeting, you need to be checked out!" She stressed worriedly. Gaara snapped out of it, merely wiping the sweat from his brow._

" _I'm fine, Sakura." Almost forgetting, Sakura retracted her hand, realizing that she was touching his face. She knew he didn't like his personal space to be violated. She knew it would make him uncomfortable._

" _I'm sorry, Gaara. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you sure you are okay? I'm certain the Daiymo would understand being rescheduled for another day." She tried to persist but Gaara shook his head._

" _I assure you, Sakura. I am perfectly fine. If it will ease your mind, I will let you know if I feel any worse during the dinner." She smiled but nodded her head. Gaara held out his hand, and she took it within hers. She giggled softly and followed him into the ball room._

 _Eyes were planted on both of them almost immediately. Gaara noticed Sakura was a bit nervous, this was her first time in a political setting. He gripped her hand tightly, prompting her to look at him, he gave her a gentle smile. She took a breath and smiled back before nodding her head and pursuing onward._

" _Sunaarashi-sama, we are honored to have you here tonight." Gaara and Sakura bowed respectfully to the heavyset man. He had dark eyes and dark brown hair. He reminded Sakura a little of Chouji in his build. Unlike most Daimyo, the wind Daimyo had previous experience as a shinobi and made sure that he was never in a situation where he would be unable to protect his family or his kingdom._

" _Thank you for inviting me, Kazekage-sama. If I may ask, who is your escort?" Sakura knew not to speak unless directly asked. Tsunade would drill into her head most lords were sexist and thought a woman's place was as far from the battlefield as possible._

 _Gaara lifted Sakura's hand up, she stood up straight and smiled kindly to the Daimyo._

" _My escort tonight is the Fifth Hokage's Apprentice, Haruno Sakura." The man raised his hand to his beard, stroking it gently while eyeing the girl._

" _I presume the same Haruno Sakura who was responsible in disposing the infamous Sasori and saving Kankurou's life from Sasori's deadly poison?" Sakura blushed lightly, Gaara merely smirked, prideful of his friend and nodded._

" _I trust no one more to be my escort and personal medic." The man grinned and nodded._

" _I see, Kazekage-sama. I cannot blame you, she is a mirror of her mentor in both strength and beauty. I believe her intelligence is just as revered." Gaara coughed slightly._

" _Please pay no mind, I'm just an old man who thrives in looking for young lovers, especially with two of the most accomplished ninjas that our country has ever seen."_

" _Haruno-san and I are grateful for your kind words, however, we are nothing more than close friends." He didn't seem to listen to Gaara's answer and in turn, switched his attention back to Sakura._

" _Haruno-san, may I ask if you and our wonderful Kazekage-sama plan to make any arrangements on marriage in the future? We would be honored to have a strong woman along the Kazekage's side to bring Sunagakure back to it's original glory."_

 _Sakura giggled nervously, but managed to find some sort of response, hopefully to please the old man._

" _Forgive me, Sunaarashi-sama, there are no plans of marriage between Gaara-sama and I, however we are very close friends and we are currently collaborating on re-establishing Sunagakure's Medical department. I believe that spreading knowledge to the next generation of medics within its borders would be the most beneficial thing I could bring at this time." She respectfully bowed._

 _Gaara internally smirked, he knew he made the right choice in choosing Sakura to be his escort. She knew just the right words to humor a political figure without offending him or his ideals. He knew that Sakura had been training and preparing herself for this for several months, and it definitely was showing promise. He trusted no other female but his sister to be by his side._

 _He took his glass and sipped and swallowed before setting it back down._

" _Haruno-san, you are a very charming young woman, if you ever decide to join the Kazekage as his wife and partner, you will forever have my blessing."_

" _Thank you for your blessing, Sunaarashi-sama, I will keep that in mind." She gave him a smile before bowing yet again. He chuckled._

" _Kazekage-sama, make sure that if you are to be married, it is to be to a woman of Haruno-san's caliber. I will not accept any less." Gaara nodded in agreement._

" _Of course, thank you Sunaarashi-sama."_

"Lil bro, are you okay? You're spacing out." The puppeteer awoke him from his trance. He said nothing but continued moving onward. Kankurou sighed and looked at Sari.

"Kazekage-sama, please talk to us. We know that you are worried about Sakura-san, you cannot keep your emotions bottled up like this. It is not healthy." Suddenly Gaara's sand became erratic, frightening both his companions.

"Gaara, please, talk to us! Your feelings are affecting the sand, you are going to hurt yourself!"

The sand circled around the Kazekage violently, almost encasing him in his own tomb until it shattered.

"The pain she feels resonates so deeply. How does she withstand so much pain without turning her pain into rage?" Gaara stopped, kneeling down and clenching to his chest. Sari rushed over to Gaara, worried for his health only to see a sight she didn't know possible.

"Gaara, you're, you're-" He felt a warm, watery substance exit from his eyes. It hit the ground before he could understand.

" _Sakura, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he couldn't anticipate her reaction to fall into his arms, crying deeply into his chest._

 _He froze for a moment, allowing her to cry and take comfort in his presence. As if a force was taking over him, his arms wrapped around her form, He lowered his head, his face buried into her hair. He stayed like that with her for what seemed like hours. His heart fluttered with an emotion he had never once felt for anyone._

" _Sakura…" He spoke her name gently, She lifted her head, her eyes still full of tears. She gripped onto his arms but he didn't mind._

" _Gaara, I, I'm sorry to bother you. I just, I just needed someone to talk to, or just someone to be there. I didn't want to be alone." He understood loneliness. He never wanted anyone to feel that same loneliness he once had to bear in his heart. Especially not her. She did not deserve to be alone._

 _His hand grabbed the back of her head, and pulled her back into his chest. He held her tightly._

" _Sakura, if you ever need someone to be there, I will be here. If you need somewhere to go, my door will be open and welcoming you. I may not know you as well as Naruto, but I know the pain of loneliness and I could never wish it on anyone." He felt her grip tighten, she looked back up at him._

" _Gaara, thank you so much."_

"For someone who has so many people around her, how could she find herself so alone? What had she done to deserve feeling so alone in the presence of the ones she loves?" the tears cascaded more from his eyes. He allowed it more, his sand laid low to the ground.

Kankurou thought of approaching his younger brother, but caught himself resisting. What could he say, or do? How can he comfort his brother? His brother didn't even know how to comfort himself. Sari continued to listen to Gaara's ramblings, she understood his feelings, the pain he must be feeling over losing someone yet again, knowing what she had endured.

" _Sakura-san, this is going to be a very hard question, but I need you to answer me as best as you can and tell me all that you can remember." Gaara held her hand, he felt her tense up._

" _We need to know everything Kabuto did to you. Can you tell me what happened, every step of the way?" Gaara felt as though this may be just as difficult on him as it was on her._

" _Kabuto poisoned both Sarada and I with a poison that would render us both paralyzed. Kabuto was going to hurt Sarada… he said that she was going to be his new body, and he started touching her." She started to lean on Gaara's shoulder, her hand still in his._

" _I told him to leave her alone, he gave us both a choice. Either it was both of us, or one would have to sacrifice for the other. I told him he could do whatever he wanted to me but to leave Sarada alone. That's when he started… to undress me and himself. I told Sarada not to blame herself for what Kabuto was going to do to me, I was doing this so I could protect her, because I love her, she was my daughter. "_

" _Did Kabuto say anything to you whenever he was assaulting you?" she curled her lips and stressed her eyes to stay closed. She nodded._

" _What did he say, Sakura-san?"_

" _I, I was trying to close my eyes, I didn't want to see him doing it, and he stabbed me, he told me that I will watch him rape me, he said that Sarada was going to watch me be raped by him."_

 _This was even harder than Gaara thought. He wanted to leave, he didn't want to hear anymore. How is it that Sakura had to be the one to sacrifice so much, to suffer so much? All because of Sasuke's demons, his connections. It was always connected to_ _him_ _._

" _He started raping me vaginally, I don't remember for how long. Then he turned me over and raped me anally. Sarada was screaming for him to stop, I was screaming for him to stop and then I couldn't breathe. He was choking me, I don't remember with what, it felt like I was dying, I felt like my voice was gone, I couldn't scream anymore."_

 _Gaara closed his eyes but could only see images he wish he would never find. He wanted to stay strong for her, he needed to be her strength and her sanctuary._

" _I thought he was done after that then I heard the sound of metal and I felt him insert a kunai into my vagina, it was the worst pain I ever felt, I tried to scream, but I couldn't find any air in my lungs to make a sound. I blacked out."_

 _Gaara read all of her medical files, he read the mission statement from Temari. He knew what she'd gone through. He knew what she had to go through, but he wasn't prepared to hear it come out of her own mouth what had been done to her. He wanted nothing more than to hide her from her pain forever. If he could take that pain and endure it for himself so she would never feel it again, he would take it._

"I promised her, that I would always be there whenever she needed me. I never realized until now that I needed her by my side as she needed me by hers. I would give everything just to feel her beside me now." He felt his body shake from the emotions trying to escape in a rush of grief.

"Gaara, you need to admit it out loud. You need to tell yourself how you feel about Sakura. You need to let your body release these emotions in order for you to make peace."

He allowed himself to be at peace with the ground, allowing his body to cry, to sob, to release every emotion he had been hiding for so long.

"Sakura, I love you."

 **X**

"Where is that Uchiha bastard!? I will smite him where he stands, I will show him a world his Sharingan could only dream of encompassing!" the busty former Hokage raged, Held back by Naruto, Shizune and Neji Hyuuga, she was set on giving Sasuke the true torture he deserves. How dare he hurt her apprentice? How dare he betray her! She snarled, looking through the window of the holding cell.

"That smug bastard is smirking at me! I'll give him something to smirk at! Like his newfound inability of restoring his devil clan!"

"Tsunade-sama, you will be given a chance at speaking with him soon enough, I believe we should wait for the Kazekage to get here." Tsunade growled, still attempting to break free of her resistance.

"Hokage-sama, the Kazekage has arrived with Sakura's therapist and his brother Kankurou." Shikamaru lazily informed. Kakashi nodded.

"Bring him here at once." Shikamaru yawned.

"He's already here, he refused to wait at the gate for approval." Kakashi chuckled and prompted for Shikamaru to allow him to enter the interrogation unit. Gaara and his two subordinates came within view almost immediately.

"Kazekage-sama, pleased to see you." Kakashi tried to greet him only for him to walk past Kakashi and towards the room with Sasuke be held prisoner.

"Hokage-sama, please hand me all transcripts of previous sessions so I can know what I can ask and such." Kakashi nodded. Tsunade was finally calm, and no longer being held back.

"Yo, Gaara, you can't even say hi to your best friend?" Gaara looked at Naruto and sighed.

"Naruto, I am sorry, I am just angry right now and wish not to take it out on you." Naruto walked over to Gaara and patted him on the back.

Sari approached Tsunade and took a seat beside her.

"Tsunade-sama, it has been quite a while since we last spoke on Sakura's behalf. I just want to apologize to you personally." Tsunade's eyes shifted to the young therapist.

"Why do you need to apologize, you had no part of this, correct?" Sari was silent, then sighed.

"Tsunade-sama, Sakura-san informed me of the abuse she endured before she came back to Konoha. She explained the situation between her and Sasuke and urged me to stay silent on the matter. I regret that I did not step forward sooner." Expecting to receive a taste of Tsunade's wrath, Sari braced herself.

Tsunade stared at the young therapist angrily. Shizune nudged at her, in their own kind of silent talk, urged Tsunade to be rational.

"Sari-san, I hold great respect for the work you have done with Sakura, and as angry as I am with the situation, you were only doing your job. There is no way that we could have determined this would have blown up in the way it transpired. You are forgiven. However, I will ask for all the transcripts of your sessions with Sakura involving Sasuke immediately. I don't even care if a session mentions his name just once, I want to have it."

Sari bowed and nodded before hurriedly making way to their temporary living quarters. Kankurou stood behind, wishing to speak to the Uchiha himself. Shikamaru looked blankly on, just remembering the feeling of metal dragging into his pocket.

"Oi, Gaara." He turned his head to face his sister's lover. He walked over to him.

"What is it, Shikamaru? I am busy." He stressed, annoyed. Shikamaru dug into his pocket to bring the necklace out. Gaara froze. Shikamaru pulled it out in front, attempting to give it back.

"Whenever I found Sakura, Itachi handed me her necklace. He told me to give it back to you." He took the necklace back, hastily. Gripping it, then releasing, looking down at it. His rage filled, his worry. He was done wasting time.

"I wish to speak with the traitor. Hokage-sama, Tsunade-sama, I wish you both to join me." Kankurou attempted to call protest, only to receive Gaara's infuriating gaze in response. He snarled but obeyed.

Kakashi was the first to move inside the room, Tsunade following him behind. Sasuke merely chuckled.

"Back to hear more, sensei? I'm sure that Sakura would have loved to be locked in a room with you against your will." Tsunade glared at Sasuke, chakra radiating from her hands.

"Still going on about that, Sasuke? Don't you want to know who took Sakura-chan's virginity, since you're so curious?" Sasuke's demeanor changed from annoyingly playful to serious and angry.

"We all know it was you, you dirty old man. Always going after the little girls because you killed the only girl who loved you." Tsunade punched Sasuke square in the jaw, cracking it painfully. Sasuke spat out the blood from his mouth.

"Uchiha." Gaara's deep voice came from almost nowhere. He moved past Kakashi and Tsunade to sit face to face with the avenger himself. Sasuke strained his eyes in a chance to activate his sharingan but to no avail.

"Sakura's poison will force your Sharingan to remain dormant for 48 hours with each dose." Kakashi explained, but Sasuke wasn't listening. His glare stayed stiff on the red headed Kazekage.

"What are you doing here, you monster? It's all your fault she's gone. You ruined everything!" He nearly whispered the last part. Gaara calmly stared him down.

"I have done no such thing. I suggest you refrain from using the word monster, when you have been responsibility for more monstrosity than I." Sasuke growled, Kakashi and Tsunade stood behind Gaara, looking over his questioning.

Gaara cleared his throat and stood up.

"I have been informed that you are questioning Sakura's relationship with your Hokage." Gaara chuckled.

"What are you laughing about? You're an abomination, your kind should have been extinguished from birth."

"Similar to the fate of your clan, I assume?" Sasuke tried struggling out of his restraints in a rage, prompting Tsunade to inject him with a calming agent.

"You son of a bitch, you have no right. My clan was betrayed, and the only thing I had to remedy the situation was taken away from me, by you." He physically spat at the kage.

"You little bastard, do I have to sew your mouth shut?" Tsunade threatened. Gaara sat back down, glaring deeply into the eyes of his enemy.

"Why did you come back for Sakura if your only intention was to harm her?" Sasuke was silent, he will not talk any more.

"You don't have to talk, Sakura did more than enough talking for the both of you. She knew you were only using her for your pitiful clan. She knew that you only came back not because you loved her, but because you needed her, and she was the only one would give you the chance you far from earned."

"Didn't your parents teach you not to mess with a woman who was already spoken for? Oh, I forgot, you killed one and the other was murdered because of you."

"Says the one who watched their entire family fall to their knees by their own brother."

"Why do you even want Sakura? You don't deserve her." He seethed.

"Again, the one who has hurt her more than I deserves her kindness?"

Kakashi sat back, just watching the blows bounce off one after the other. Tsunade was just waiting for the times that Sasuke would say something outrageous just so she could have an excuse to cause him bodily harm.

"If it wasn't for you, Sakura would be my wife and we'd have our children. Why can't you let others be happy, are you just so jealous that they have what you were never meant to see?" Gaara sat there silently.

"You know you don't deserve happiness, Sakura was always too good for you. You don't deserve anyone. You should have left her to me, that way she would have the stability that she needs in order to be a mother and wife."

"She is so much more than a means to bear children and keep to the house, Uchiha." He retorted darkly.

"Says who? That's all she was ever supposed to be, she agreed to it. She knew that was the best way she could serve anyone. She was destined to be the one to help me revive my clan and in turn she would be blessed with the sign of the Uchiha, branding her worthiness. She will not live another day unknowing of her worth and use."

"Her worth is more than being a clan Matriarch. Do you even love her for the person she is, or for what she can give you?" Sasuke scoffed.

"She exists solely for the purpose of my clan, love is a childish dream I would allow her to indulge in for the sake of keeping her by my side."

Tsunade growled at the young man's explanation, how dare he use Sakura in such a way? She knew from the moment he arrived he would use her, and no matter how much she ranted, she raved, she cried, she warned Sakura. She did not care. Did she really think that was all she was? Why would she agree to such terms?

"If I had the chance to kill Kakashi for taking her virginity I would. Her innocence was mine for the taking, how dare he take that from me? I should have killed him years ago." Kakashi glared down on Sasuke, fists clenched almost about to strike but Gaara stopped him, laughing lightly to himself.

"What are you laughing about?" he growled. Gaara smirked at him.

"For an Uchiha, you are quite unintelligent. I understand why your brother left you alive. You are essentially harmless with your ignorant assumptions." Sasuke's face contorted into confusion. Kakashi looked at Tsunade who was smirking, attempting to hold back her own laughs.

"Who was it." He spoke out angrily. Gaara Sat back in his chair, arms crossed and reminiscing to himself.

" _She's the only one available?" Gaara asked intuitively. Tsunade sighed and nodded sadly._

" _I wish we had the Kunoichi we used to, but so many of these situations have begun to arise within our own country and our missions have been backlogged for weeks. Sakura has never even done this type of mission before, I am putting her within your care to make sure she returns to us safely. She is aware of the conditions of the mission and has agreed to them."_

" _You state she has never done this type of mission before, how can you assume that she is able to perform the duties of this mission to the best of her ability? Has she ever been trained in the acts of… sex?" Gaara asked, feeling extremely uncomfortable._

 _Tsunade rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated snort._

" _She is a medic, Gaara. She knows about sex from a medical stand point and with all Kunoichi they are mandated to take a class every six months on the subject of seduction. She herself said that she is more than willing and capable of fulfilling all duties of this mission." Gaara sighed, bringing his hand up to his to cover his face. Why did it have to be her?_

 _Sakura was more than capable of doing anything she was assigned. Whenever he needed help with any missions stationed within Suna, she would always stand up to help out where ever she was needed. Whenever Gaara first asked Tsunade for a kunoichi who could help go undercover for a seduction mission, he was expecting the girl with long blonde hair, or perhaps the one on the same team as the Hyuuga branch member. He did not expect Tsunade to send her apprentice. He did not expect that Sakura would be capable of pulling off such a thing considering she was a virgin still._

 _Tsunade could read Gaara face like a book, smirking, she attempted to calm his nerves._

" _I am aware that you are worried for the sanctity of Sakura's, what's the word? Let's just call it innocence, even though we both know she is far too violent to be innocent anymore."_

" _Why would you send me a kunoichi who has never been touched? You may as well have sent me a genin."_

" _Gaara, she has stated that she will be taking care of it prior to her mission, you do not need to worry about it." His eyes almost widened at the statement. Surely, she wouldn't be giving up herself to some random person in a means to be ready for this mission? He couldn't allow her to do that._

" _Is she here? I wish to speak with her on the subject." Tsunade sighed but nodded her head in agreement. She left momentarily to bring Sakura into the office._

" _Shishou, can you let Gaara and I talk privately, please?" She tried to protest but Sakura glared at her so she decided to leave, mumbling about Sake and ungrateful brats._

" _Gaara-"_

" _You're not going." She glared at him in protest._

" _I am the only one who can complete this mission at the moment, unless you want these perverts to keep selling and abusing little girls, I am going. My virginity is not more important than the lives of others." She crossed her arms._

" _You are not ready for this type of mission. You will not be going, that is final." Gaara raised his voice. Sakura clenched her fists, glaring up at Gaara._

" _Do you think I'm too weak to complete this mission? Do you think I'm so incapable of securing information and saving others? If that's what you're saying, please let me know and I will leave Suna right now, and I promise you, I will not be back."_

 _Furious at her ultimatum, he raised his fist and punched his desk in a rage._

" _Do you not understand that I know you are so much more capable than this mission, you are more than competent and I know that you could finish any mission you have been assigned. I refuse to assign this mission to you because I will not be the one responsible for hurting you. You need time, you do not need to give yourself to a stranger for the sake of a mission. I refuse to let you degrade yourself to such means."_

" _I am doing this because I know it needs to be done, I want to help any way that I can, Gaara. Please just let me help. I was only holding onto my virginity for a stupid reason, I should have gotten rid of it years ago, I don't need it." Sakura tried to argue but Gaara did not seem phased._

" _You will not lose something that important to you to a stranger. My answer is no, and it will stay no unless you think you can convince me otherwise."_

" _What if I found a friend to, you know-" Gaara's eye twitched._

" _Like who?"_

" _Uh…" she scrambled through her mind, trying to think of someone, anyone who may be willing to help her._

" _Kankurou?' She laughed nervously. Gaara did not seem amused._

" _Absolutely_ _not_ _." Sakura bit the inside of her cheek until she had the last idea of someone who could possibly help her. She blushed madly._

" _Gaara, you said you will not send me on this mission if I give my virginity to someone who didn't care about me, correct?"_

" _More or less." She felt anxiety fill her body, almost causing her to shake._

" _Gaara, will you have sex with me?" The air in the office seemed to become scarce. Sakura looked away in shame and closed her eyes. Gaara in turn looked at her intensely, almost frozen in shock._

 _What did she just say? Surely she didn't just ask him to have sex with her, why would she ask such a thing? They were friends, only friends, he cared about her, she cared about him, that's all there was to it. She shouldn't give her virginity to him, she should give it to someone she loves and trusts._

" _Gaara?" He felt heat rise over his face, hearing her voice so soft, it would bother him at times. He couldn't explain the feeling, but he didn't dislike it, it was just uncomfortable. Foreign._

" _Sakura, I need you to be certain that you are making the best decision right now. I do not want to hear another word out of your mouth unless you are absolutely sure."_

" _Gaara, you are my best friend. There is no one else on this earth that I have met who I trust more than you."_

 _It was silent for several minutes._

" _Sakura, I need you to understand how serious this is. I have never been sexually active with anyone and I do not want to hurt you. This is your last chance. Are you sure?"_

" _Yes."_

"Me." Sasuke's jaw dropped, his eyes widened in surprise before screaming in anger.

" _You!_ "

 _She panted heavily nearing her climax. She dug her fingers into his back, sweat covering both of their bodies. She wrapped her legs around his hips, her face buried into the crook of his neck. He grunted, his eyes closed as he felt himself reaching his limit._

" _Sakura…" he tried to warn her, she lifted her head from his neck and looked at him dearly and nodded._

" _It's okay… I'm on birth control." She reassured him._

 _He felt her inner walls clench around his length, then a small pressure worked against him._

" _Gaara!" she cried as she climaxed, almost immediately after he felt himself lose control of his body and released his seed deep within her womb._

" _Sakura…" He breathed out before falling beside her. He stared at the ceiling for several minutes, allowing Sakura to lay against him. He noticed she had fallen asleep._

 _He drew his hand to her forehead, wiping away any stray hairs away from her face. She looked so peaceful. Her breathing evened out, He smiled involuntarily, combing his fingers through her hair. He didn't know why he was doing this, it was just sex, he cared about Sakura, but this wasn't supposed to mean anything more than a means of getting rid of a weakness for the sake of her mission._

 _He didn't know why his heart felt so different, he felt content, he felt full. The feeling of emptiness seemed to disappear. They were friends, best friends, there is a level of love and compassion that he learned from Naruto, but this, is this a different kind of love? He leaned down and kissed her forehead softly, not to wake her._

" _Thank you… Sakura…" he said before laying his head down and wrapping his arms around her body. He closed his eyes once more and felt himself lose consciousness, he assumed this is what sleep was like. He welcomed it, at least happy that he would be safe in her arms, and she would be safe in his._

 **X**

The dark haired woman cradled her two young children in her arms, lightly singing them back to sleep. One had inherited his father's blonde hair and blue eyes, the other took after her mother. Hinata kissed their foreheads gently before placing them in their cradles beside her bed. She left the room, leaving the door cracked in case they would wake.

She made her way to the living room to clean up after the small party they had thrown for Sakura. After the entire commotion, it was of the least of their worries. Naruto was an emotional wreck, whenever he'd be at home instead of guarding Sasuke in jail. She sighed, she had to support her husband. He was doing what was best for their village, sometimes he would have to push her to the side in order to make sure his ultimate ambition came true.

She picked up dishes, cups and any trash that littered the floor. She brought the dishes to the sink and ran one with soapy water for washing and the other with warm water to rinse. Naruto would always be beside her rinsing and drying off the dishes, since he wasn't very good at the washing process. She smiled inwardly, she loved him dearly, even with the flaws he possessed.

Then her thoughts raced to Sakura. She frowned. Was she okay? Why did Sasuke's brother take her? Why would Sasuke hurt Sakura so much? They were engaged, about to be married. They were going to be a family. That's how it should have been, that's how it was destined for things to be.

It unsettled her that Sakura's fairy tale ending only turned into a never-ending nightmare that she could never forget. After her assault with Kabuto, then losing her student to suicide, when would Sakura catch a break? Surely, Sasuke would be there for her every step of the way. That's the how it should have been. He loved her, didn't he?

Suddenly a memory creeped up into her mind, almost unaware of where it came from. She didn't understand it back then, but now it seemed to make so much more sense.

 _Sakura tied the Lavender Obi around Hinata's waist tightly, but not tight enough to make her uncomfortable. Hinata turned around and looked at herself in the mirror and gasped, tears forming in her eyes._

" _You look so beautiful, Hinata-chan. Naruto is going to go crazy when he sees you!" Sakura cheered for her. Hinata's lip quivered before turning around to hug the medic nin._

" _Hinata-chan, you're going to ruin your makeup." Sakura joked hugging her back gently. Hinata released, still smiling and wiping away her tears with a tissue._

" _Sakura-chan, thank you for everything… I never thought this day would come." Sakura nodded her head smiling._

" _Are you excited for when you and Sasuke-san will be married?" Sakura seemed to freeze slightly for just a moment but brushed it off. Hinata knew that was very unusual._

" _I am more than patient enough to wait. Who knows what can happen between then and now, ne?" Her answer confused Hinata. From all she heard from Naruto, Sakura was so deeply in love with Sasuke, and had been chasing him for a majority of her life. Wouldn't she be wanting to be married as soon as possible? She decided not to ask._

" _It's time to go, now Hinata-chan. Can't keep Naruto-baka waiting." They both giggled before leaving the room and attending the alter with Naruto standing in the back. Sakura went before her with Sasuke, linking her arm with his and walking down the aisle as Hinata's maid of honor. She couldn't thank Sakura enough for giving her the opportunity to be with Naruto, it was_

 _Sakura's idea to have them start dating which ultimately ending them all here today. Naruto's past crush on Sakura did not bother Hinata at all, she knew that it was platonic nowadays and they were very good friends. Sakura would never take Naruto from her. She trusted her._

 _After the ceremony, Naruto and Hinata led the group to the reception. Hinata was surrounded by her clan members, Naruto was off talking with Sasuke. She looked around and noticed Sakura talking to her little sister Hanabi. That was odd, she thought._

 _Byakugan, she stressed, trying not to bring too much attention to herself._

" _I would love to make you my apprentice, Hanabi-chan. I know that you are a strong kunoichi, and I am positive that you can be a great medic nin if you put your mind to it. You may even surpass me." Hanabi's eyes lit up at Sakura's declaration and gave her a tight hug in thanks._

" _If anything were to happen to me, at least the village will have my apprentice." She spoke jokingly._

Hinata snapped out of her memory, she accidentally dropped a dish on the floor and it shattered. She grabbed a broom and dust pan and cleaned it up immediately. Back then, it made no sense, but now, could Sakura have been knowing of what would happen? Was Sakura suspicious of Sasuke all along?

She bit her lip as she removed all the strains of glass from the floor and emptying them into the bin. She went to check on her sleeping children, they were almost 5 months old. They were still sleeping sounding in their cradle.

She left the room once more to ponder her memory. Perhaps Hanabi could tell her some information? If Sakura was truly training Hanabi, they may have spoke about Sasuke on occasion, she had to try something. Maybe this would give her the answers she needed.

"Nee-san, you needed me?" Hanabi asked sleepily. It was close to midnight and Hanabi had been at the hospital for the past ten hours.

"Hanabi-chan, I need to talk to you about Sakura-chan, okay?" She nodded slowly before taking a seat on the sofa beside her sister.

"Is this about Sasuke-baka?" she asked bluntly. Hinata blushed and coughed.

"Yes. Are you aware of the current situation about Sasuke and Sakura?" Hanabi sent her sister a suspicious look.

"What about them?" Hinata sighed and took her hand gently.

"Sasuke hurt Sakura-chan." A fire rose within Hanabi's eyes as she grit her teeth and clenched her fists.

"How did he hurt her this time? Was he just saying mean things? He is always belittling her." Hinata cocked her head to the side. She was unaware that Sasuke's abuse was anything more than the two times she was made aware of.

"I need you to tell me everything you know about their relationship. Sakura is in trouble, and time is scarce." She took two deep breaths before trying to word her sentences in a coherent fashion.

"Sasuke-baka was always getting onto Sakura about training me, saying that it's a waste of her time and that she should spend more time with him. Whenever Sakura would take me out to get dinner or anything, Sasuke would get angry that she was spending money on me. I told her that I could pay for myself so Sasuke wouldn't get angry but she would just tell me that Sasuke was just being stubborn and not to worry about it.

"Then there was this one time when I was waiting for Sakura to come to train me but she was late so I went to their house and I heard them fighting about something, I don't know what exactly but he was telling her that she needed to stop undermining him, she needed to do as he told her to do, that's what a good wife would do. The bastard was always a sexist pig, he just never wanted anyone to know." She growled. Hinata looked on sadly, Hanabi had to bear witness to such cruelty. Their own father was a cruel man, but other than him, she had never been a victim or witness to such cruelty or abuse.

"I tried to talk to her about Sasuke once, about how he gets angry sometimes and he yells at her, she would just tell me that he was just having a hard time with being back in Konoha and learning how to use his emotions in a healthy way or some crap. I never believed it." She scoffed.

Hinata put a hand on Hanabi's shoulder gently and sighed out.

"Is there anything else you might know, Hanabi?" Hanabi frowned, her mouth twitched as though she had something to say, but her body was trying to suppress it.

"Please Hanabi, this is important." Hinata pleaded. Hanabi lowered her head.

"There was a time, whenever Sakura-chan was teaching me about babies, and how to help pregnant women, I thought we were going to go to the hospital for this but Sakura told me that she wanted us to go to her home to do it. I didn't understand, I thought we'd need a pregnant woman in order to do the lesson but I followed her. Sasuke wasn't home, it was just me and her."

"What does this have to do with Sasuke, Hanabi?" She rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting to it! I'm just, Sakura asked me not to tell anyone. Ever. Not even Tsunade-sama knows." Hinata's eyes widened at the proclamation. Tsunade knows everything. _Everything._

"Sakura was telling me that there is a way to tell if a woman is pregnant with our chakra, she said that if it our chakra seemed to be out of control, then someone was pregnant with a baby. Then she put her hand over her stomach and her chakra was all spiky and rigid, I didn't understand. Then she told me, if a woman had just lost her child, the chakra would look like that. Then I knew it, Sakura had a miscarriage. I put my hand over her stomach to see for myself and it was the same as Sakura's chakra showed, rigid spiky chakra flow, and it kind of hurt."

"Oh my god, Hanabi…" Hinata put her hand over her mouth. Hanabi forced her emotions in check, she would not cry. She refused.

"Then Sakura told me, in order to fetus to pass through her uterus safely, to add a pressure to the chakra, in a pulling sensation, and it would allow the fetus to pass though. She was going to do it herself, but I told her I would, I didn't want her to have to do that to her own baby, she was so sad, Nee-san." Hinata held her sister closely, offering a shoulder to cry on.

"She told me that Sasuke was mad at her, mad that she allowed their baby to die. He told her so many mean things, he told her that she was useless if she couldn't even carry their child to term, that she couldn't protect their baby. After that she went to Sunagakure for like a month on a 'mission' but I think she just wanted to hide for a while. She was just so sad, Sasuke didn't understand, he blamed her for everything. She just wanted someone to help her and make her happy."

"She said Gaara would be there for her, he was always there for her whenever she needed someone to talk to, if I had to suspect anything, I'd have thought she was in love with Gaara more than she was in love with Sasuke-baka. He sure seemed to love her the way she deserved."

"Hanabi, we need to let the others know. They have to know!" Getting up from her seat, Hanabi shook her head.

"They don't need to know about her miscarriage! Sakura would be so angry at me if she knew I told anyone! Oh god, please don't make me tell them!" Hanabi cried, begging. Hinata was conflicted, she knew that it needed to be revealed, she couldn't help it. Hanabi may hate her, but she had to do what was right for Sakura.

"Hanabi, you will stay here and watch Hima and Shoru. I am going to visit Sasuke." Hanabi's eyes widened, noticing the determination in Hinata's eyes. Hinata left in a rush, Hanabi made her way into the twins bedroom, laying on the daybed by the closet.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan."

 **X**

It was a cold night, Hinata was thankful she grabbed her coat before she left. She clung it close to her hourglass form before reaching the interrogation building. It branched off from the jail which made it easier to interrogate prisoners. She saw her husband's face before making her way to Sasuke's holding cell.

"Hinata-chan, what are you doing here? Where are Hima and Shoru?" He asked hastily.

"Hanabi is watching them for the night. I am going to speak with Sasuke." Naruto blocked her from the door, she looked up at him with her eyes as hot as fire.

"Naruto-kun, I need to speak with him, now. I will move you aside myself if you don't." Naruto looked at her shocked at her words, Hinata has never threatened him. He swooped her into his arms and held her tightly, attempting to calm her down.

"Hinata-chan, Gaara is talking to him right now, can't you wait?" Hinata shook her head, trying to break free from Naruto's grasp.

"I won't let you go unless you let me go with you." Hinata sighed but smiled as she kissed her husband gently.

"Naruto-kun, there are things about Sasuke and Sakura that no one knows, not even Tsunade-sama… I ask that it stays with only you, me, and Gaara-sama in the room, please." Naruto nodded his head in agreement. He went inside the room and coaxed out Tsunade and Kakashi.

"What is the meaning of this, brat? Gaara is going to murder Sasuke, not that I would mind, but I'm sure that we still need more information from the bastard first." She then noticed Hinata standing up straightly with the look of pure strength and determination across her face. She smirked.

"Why, hello there, Hinata-san. I assume you're here to bring Naruto home?" Hinata giggled but shook her head, much to Kakashi and Tsunade's surprise.

"I am here to talk to Sasuke. I believe I know how I can get him to crack." The devilish glint in her pupil-less eyes would have made anyone shiver at the thought.

"By all means, give it a try, Hinata-chan." Kakashi guided her and Naruto through the door before shutting it behind them.

Sasuke looked up to see the timid woman Naruto foolishly married, he laughed at her presence, she tilted her head innocently.

"What's so funny, Sasuke-san?" Gaara looked up to Naruto in question, who in turned shrugged his shoulders.

"They think the reject of the Hyuuga clan can make me talk? Pfft, you're pathetic, even for Naruto's wife." Naruto growled and walked over to Sasuke in a chance to smack him upside the head, only for Hinata to stop him. Hinata smiled at both Naruto and Sasuke.

"Oh, I understand, Sasuke-san. I am just a timid woman, I was never born to be a shinobi, just a child bearer and homemaker. That's what you always wanted, though, isn't it Sasuke-san? Is that why Sakura-chan was annoying?" Her question seemed to make Sasuke uncomfortable, Naruto wanted to let his guard down, shocked at his wife's statement.

"She was annoying because she didn't know her place. She accepted to be my wife, but she refused to act like it." Sasuke retorted in a nasty tone. She kept smiling.

"I believe her place was just in your arms, correct Sasuke-san? That way she would have never lost your heir. I'm certain you were very angry at her for not protecting your child." The room was deathly silent, aside from the heavy breathing from Sasuke who was trying to maintain his composure.

"What do you even know?" Sasuke spat out. Hinata giggled.

"I'm sure that it was very hard to be promised to a woman who couldn't give you the only thing you wanted from her. That's why you didn't love her, right?"

"Shut your mouth, you ignorant bitch." He seethed. Hinata held her hand out to Sasuke and Gaara, telling them not to interfere.

"That's why you didn't want her to go on missions anymore, right? Because she wouldn't be able to carry her pregnancy safely, especially after she failed you once, what was stopping her from failing you again?" Sasuke growled, glaring daggers at her. She held the smile on her face, almost as thought it was the only emotion her face could show.

"You are right, she is useless as a wife and a mother. She couldn't save her first child, and she's a medic. How incompetent must she be to allow your child to die so prematurely?"

"If she just listened to me, she would be here and with several of our children now and I would be killing Itachi and everyone who has forced my hand."

Hinata nodded to him and offered him a glass of water. Sasuke looked at the glass and back at Hinata.

"I promise you, it's not poisoned. I'm sure all that talking must have made your throat dry." He wearily grabbed the glass and drank slowly, not leaving his eyes from Hinata.

"Please, tell me, what do you plan on doing now that Sakura-chan is with Itachi? I'm sure that Itachi has taken her on as his own. Sakura-chan isn't very faithful, right?" Gaara almost jumped in protest, but Naruto dragged him away and out of the room.

"What the _hell_ is your wife doing?" He asked angrily. Naruto put his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"I _think_ she is trying to play on his side, that way he will talk more freely. Honestly, she has never done this kind of thing before, she retired from being a Shinobi after we got married, and she never expressed any interest in interrogation or torture. This is surprising the hell out of me."

Gaara sat down on the bench, his hands grasping his face and shaking his head at once.

"Sakura had a miscarriage, didn't she, Gaara? Is that why Sasuke is so angry?" Gaara stayed silent. It was not his story to tell. Doing so would disrespect her privacy.

"Please, Gaara. I need to know. I have been put in the dark about this for so long, I just want to make sure that Sakura is okay, I love her too, maybe not like you do, but I do." Gaara looked up to his friend who only grinned.

"We all know how you feel about Sakura-chan, you wouldn't be here if you didn't love her, even just a little." Gaara chuckled. Naruto sat beside him on the bench, patting his shoulder.

"Naruto."

"Yeah, Gaara?"

"You're right, I do love her, I have felt this knot in my chest since she left, and I realize now, that I want nothing more than for her stay beside me for the rest of my life." Gaara's eyes lightened up as he lifted his head up, not looking at anything in particular.

"Gaara, what do you mean by that?" Naruto asked, just to make sure his ears didn't deceive him.

"I want her to be in my life for as long as I live, I cannot see what the future holds, but with her by my side, there is no future I would be unhappy with. She is my best friend, and my only wish is for her to be my wife."

 **X**

Alright, I know I said Inner Sakura was going to have a big part this chapter, but I decided to wait until another chapter. Suspense, yo. Hinata is going to get even more time with Sasuke next chapter, unveiling his true plans with Sakura. Sakura will find out the reason for her 'capture/rescue' and the Akatsuki will get into some sort of mischief, because why not? We need some luls here, too much sadness. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, my daughter decided to pick the keys off of my blue tooth keyboard I am using to write, so I had to purchase a new one. Anyways, please give me your thoughts, I apologize for the long author notes. This chapter kind of made me crazy, trying to figure out sequence and whatnot. Hopefully it all makes sense, if not, I'll fix it for the next chapter. Until then, see ya~

Miyaka Hana


	7. The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend

A/N: Thank you all for the great responses last chapter, I am happy that you are all enjoying this story of mine. :) I'm sad to say, that this story will not be as long as I originally anticipated, due to me pushing the plot along faster than I normally would. I hate adding unnecessary filler into a story like this, so it's going to be much shorter than I originally said.

I think I am giving myself a chapter limit of 15, including the epilogue. I promise that it will be just as great without the filler crud that no one cares about. I will add some chapters just for pure fluff, but they do strengthen the bonds and plot so meh. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. These updates may come slower since I am now rewriting HITM as well, we will see how things pan out. I'm really excited about the new ideas I have planned. Anyways, here's the new chapter of TBCB!

 **The Bloody Cherry Blossom**

 **Chapter Seven: The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend**

Kakashi and Tsunade were listening in on the conversation between Sasuke and Hinata, almost speechless at how easily Hinata was getting information out of him. If they didn't know any better, they would have assumed Hinata was a seasoned pro.

"Hinata sure is something else, you managed to marry a natural interrogator. Who would have thought out of all people, Hinata could get someone to talk?" Kakashi laughed to himself, Naruto grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

Gaara was silently sitting by the window of the room. It bothered him to hear Hinata speak of Sakura in such a way, even if he knew it was all an act. He had never been in her presence for long, the longest being whenever he attended Naruto and Hinata's wedding.

He had always wondered what attracted Naruto to Hinata, sure she was charming in her own way, but their personalities were on opposite spectrums, she was a really timid woman, and he was probably the biggest loudmouth the village had ever met, save for probably his mother.

For the bachelor party he had asked Naruto that very same question only to get an answer he did not expect.

 _To say he was uncomfortable around all the excessive drinking and partying would be an understatement. He was essentially hiding in the back corner of the bar as things started to get crazy. He sighed, Naruto asked for him to be his best man at the wedding and asked for him to come to his bachelor party to have some last chance 'fun'._

 _His better judgement told him to leave, perhaps Sakura would be able to think of an excuse for his early departure from the party without hurting Naruto's feelings. Just as he decided to make his escape, his best friend came to his dismay. He internally groaned._

 _He wasn't entirely intoxicated but definitely a bit buzzed. His cheeks were flushed and his words were starting to slur from the exposure to alcohol._

" _Eyy, Gaara, what're you doin' over here? You need a drink!" He squeezed the bridge of his nose, wishing he could decline._

" _Naruto, I am very happy for you, however, I wish not to drink. I want to leave." He said bluntly. Naruto stared at him for a moment then slapped him on the back and started laughing._

" _Oh Gaara! Buddy ol' pal of mine! I promise, Sak'ras not gonna get mad if you get a lil drunk! Even if, 'nata-chans with Sak'ra and they're probly drinkin' too! Let loose bro, ya never know if ya don't try!" Gaara sighed, he stood corrected. Naruto was definitely, hopelessly, drunk._

" _Naruto, I will take one drink, but I need you to answer one question for me. Just for the sake of curiosity." Almost immediately, Naruto handed him a glass of some unknown substance. He was going to hate himself in the morning, but he downed it all in one go, banging the glass on the table. He gave a small cough._

" _Oh, Gaara, bro, what'd'ya wanna ask me?" Taking a sip of water to rid the taste of the burning alcohol, Gaara looked his friend in the eye._

" _What drew you to marry Hinata-san? You both are very different people from what I can tell." Naruto stroked his chin in a thinking manner, acting as if in deep thought._

" _Well, Hinata is really nice and smart and she's got some nice hooters, if ya know what I mean." He wiggled his eye brows suggestively. Gaara stared at him as if he were stupid._

" _Ahahahaha ya shoulda seen the look on your face! But fer real… I think, the fact that she and I are both the same in a sense." Naruto tried to sober up in order to explain._

" _How so, Naruto?"_

" _She and I both grew up having to prove ourselves to people, ya know, always looking for acceptance, wanting to show everyone we aren't weak or useless, trying to be more than what people expected us to be._

" _I think whenever we fought Pein, and I saw that no matter how underpowered and out of her league against Pein, she still fought by my side, she kept fighting even though she knew she would die. She made me realize that true love isn't perfect, but someone who loves you will fight by you against all odds,_

" _Sakura had to hit me upside the head a few times to get me to realize it, but Hinata was always fighting for me, she liked me for who I was from the beginning, she never wanted me to change, she only wanted to stand by me through all the changes in life."_

 _Gaara couldn't help but smile, he understood now why out of everyone, Naruto chose the one person who he knew would be there for him regardless of what happens in life. It was similar to what he felt for Sakura, perhaps, one day, she will feel the same._

"Why should I even talk to you about Sakura, Hyuuga? I thought you were friends, if anything, you should hate me." She grabbed his hands and smiled at him.

"What is the saying, Sasuke? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?" He smirked, allowing a small chuckle escape his throat.

"I wish Sakura would have been like you, maybe she would have been safe if she learned not to fight a losing battle." Hinata giggled, gripping onto his hands fondly.

"Please, Sasuke, tell me. What if I were your wife instead?" Naruto clenched his fists, even knowing that his wife was only playing a role, hearing her talk to Sasuke like so made his blood boil.

"If you were my wife, you would have been safe from Konoha's corruption, Sakura only made things complicated."

"Please, Sasuke, tell me about Konoha's corruption?" She breathed out seductively.

"Konoha ordered my clan's massacre, and for that they shall see a massacre of their own." Hinata moved her face closely to Sasuke's as though to kiss him. She whispered,

"When?"

"Today." Before anyone could react to Sasuke's threat, the sound of an explosion grabbed their attention. Hinata pulled away in terror, she looked at Sasuke who was laughing.

"What is going on, Sasuke?" She demanded.

"Madara and Orochimaru are here retrieve me, If you wish for Konoha to stand for one more day, I suggest you let me go." Kakashi and Ibiki rushed into the room and grabbed Sasuke forcefully, bounding him in chains.

"You can put as many restraints on me as you wish, but it will not save Konoha from destruction." They dragged him out, Sasuke and Gaara's eyes connected once more.

"You may want to go back to your place, monster. Who knows what can happen?" Gaara glared down at Sasuke, just about to ask what he meant by that, Shikamaru ran up to Gaara in a hurry.

"Gaara-sama, you need to return to Suna, your sister just sent me a letter. The village is being attacked by Iwagakure. She is leading the defense but she needs you and Kankurou back immediately." The glare Gaara held for Sasuke intensified.

"What have you done?" He asked once, his voice dipping in venom. Sasuke only laughed in response.

 **X**

To say that Temari was freaking out would be an understatement. In the dead of night, the gates were broken into by Iwagakure nins, Niko and Matsuri came rushing to her to inform her of the attack. She gathered all of Jounin and ANBU she had available, she sent the Chunin to help the civilians and children escape and keep them safe.

She had sent the message to Konoha only an hour ago but the lack of a reply was causing her anxiety to rise through the roof. She herself went to the frontlines to meet with the barrage of Iwa nins trying to break into the village. She held her fan to her side before fanning it aggressively, aggravating the sand and the wind to her advantage.

She gave her war cry, the sand began to spin and wrap around a large group of ninja, similarly to Gaara's sand coffin, it entrapped them in their own burial, but instead of the brutal death, it merely suffocated them within the sand.

On the sidelines, Matsuri was keeping track of the injured ninja and civilians caught in the crossfire. She developed a sand shield as a barrier over their hospital as she guided all the medics she had on hand to start with the most injured of the group.

Matsuri was thankful to have been taught by Sakura herself in the ways of leading Suna's hospital in the right direction and making sure that she was prepared to take on any injury no matter how severe. She only wished that she could have had Sari there to help with the less serious cases that way she and the rest of their medics could have the chakra for the extensive surgeries and examinations from the more serious of injuries.

Matsuri thrived on helping others, she knew that she would not be able to save everyone, no matter how much she would try, some people just could not be saved.

"Niko-san! Are you okay?" Matsuri asked worriedly. He had a broken arm and was limping. He held said arm tightly, trying to keep it from moving. He winced in pain.

"Matsuri, Temari-san is on the front lines, she has stabilized the attack, most are retreating but we are unsure for how long. I got caught off guard, my arm is broken and dislocated, I'm not sure what happened to my knee. Have you heard anything from the Kazekage?"

Matsuri rushed over to Niko and began healing his arm, pumping chakra to his joints and popping his arm back in place. He grunted in pain.

"I haven't heard anything from Gaara-sama yet, but I've been pretty busy with the hospital. We still have some surgeries going on, some of the lesser injuries are being looked over, but for now we have caught up, at least until they come back." Matsuri sighed.

She moved onto his knee, using chakra to examine it she noticed that his knee was knocked out of place. It was an easy fix, just a bit on the painful side. She held onto his leg with one hand and firmly grabbed his dislocated knee cap with the other and knocked it back into its original place. He cursed in pain, using chakra she lessened the residual pain much to his relief.

"Thank you, Matsuri. I feel much better." She smiled and nodded her head.

"It's nothing, Niko. Now, you need to go make sure that Temari-san is okay! She is tough, but even she has her limits." Niko nodded his head and rushed off in search of their temporary leader.

"Temari-san!" Niko yelled as he saw her fall to her knees gripping onto her fan as she pant. She fanned it out one last time, knocking away the rest of the ninja out of the village. He ran to her side and helped her back onto her feet.

He threw her arm over his shoulder and she leaned against him for support.

"They're gone for now, but we need to come up with another plan. It will take Gaara at least a day to get back here if he hurries, and I don't have enough energy to survive another attack if they come back before then." She panted out heavily.

Niko rushed her to the hospital for Matsuri to look her over. She didn't have any serious injuries, just chakra exhaustion. Temari was thankful that the attack ended almost as soon as it happened. Their village was ready for an attack even if they didn't expect it. Gaara made sure that the village would always be prepared in case of an invasion, his village will not fall, not under his rule.

The village had some damage, a few buildings were destroyed but nothing extensive that couldn't be rebuilt quickly. Once they rang the alarm to let everyone know it was safe to come out of hiding, the streets of Suna became flooded with the civilians looking at the mass of destruction left by Iwagakure.

There didn't seem to be a cause or reason for Iwa to attack Suna, at least none that they could think of. They weren't in great terms with their village, but they had a cease-fire treaty in the works that was being prepared. Temari knew that it would be signed null and void upon Gaara's return.

If it were one thing Gaara did not tolerate, it would be betrayal. He and Iwagakure had spent countless hours negotiating terms of the treaty and even trying to better their own relations with the villagers themselves, from sending ninja to help with their overwhelming mission logs, or to provide medical aid. After this attack, there is no way that things could be forgiven as easily. There would be hell to pay.

 **X**

"What do you mean Suna has been attacked? Itachi, what is going on?" Sakura asked frustrated. He looked at her blankly.

"It seems as though Sound and Iwa have struck up an alliance of sorts. My little brother has been interfering with Iwagakurian politics for some time, the elders of the country have expressed hostility towards Sunagakure and Konoha for some time, they must have been given a deal that they could not refuse. I believe that Konoha is in great danger."

Sakura gulped, she was angry at Sasuke, she was angry at herself. She should have known that this was coming. She could only pray that Hanabi was ready.

"Sakura, you need to know the truth before we make our move. Your involvement is detrimental to preventing what my brother has planned."

She closed her eyes forcefully, clenching her fists. She couldn't keep making excuses for him, she couldn't keep giving him the benefit of the doubt. She was prepared for this day to come, even if she didn't want to believe it was possible.

"Itachi, my apprentice and I had been working on something that might be of some use but it is still in Konoha with her. I knew that if Sasuke found out about it, he would be more than suspicious." Itachi raised an eye brow in interest but smirked.

"Please, do explain."

" _Sakura, are you sure that this is, well, you know, legal?" Hanabi asked nervously as she held the test tube. Sakura was frantically looking through her notes, writing down notes and calculations._

" _Hanabi, you are the only one who knows about this, and I plan to keep it that way. It's not illegal if we don't get caught, ne? We have to make sure this never gets out of our hands, that is why I am trusting this to you. No one can known, especially not Sasuke." She took the test tube from Hanabi briefly before adding another ingredient._

 _The unknown substance turned into a grey-ish purple color but held no odor. She took a dropper out of her pocket, grabbed an ounce of the substance and fed it to the rat she held in the cage._

 _The rat began showing unusual signs immediately. Enhanced energy, but no sign of stress on the heart. She grabbed the rat and placed it within a maze, she took a chunk of cheese to the rats nose for it to track the scent before placing it on the other end of the maze._

 _She placed several obstacles in the rats way from barriers to tunnels and ladders. She observed the time it took for the rat to overcome each obstacle and the total time for it to reach the end of the maze. She marked down the enhanced level of intelligence and problem solving._

 _Another test she set up was a weakened mouse trap to gauge resilience. Hanabi looked to her mentor and then to the rat._

" _Sakura-san, you're not going to kill it, are you?" She asked hesitantly. Sakura froze for a moment, pursing her lips she sighed._

" _Hanabi, I will not intentionally kill it, but I have to gain evidence if my hypothesis is correct. This is the only way, and I can heal the rat before he dies if anything were to go wrong. I don't like this any more than you do, but we both know that it is necessary. We have to do whatever it takes to make sure that Konoha is safe. Can I count on you to keep quiet, Hanabi?"_

 _She closed her eyes and nodded her head. Her teacher knew best, she wouldn't cause anything harm if it were not absolutely needed, she needed to trust Sakura as Sakura trusted her. Sakura placed the rat before the trap and observed intensely._

 _Hanabi wanted to look away, but she knew better. Medical science came at a price, there were sacrifices in the shinobi world, the sacrifice of a rodent was the least of her worries. She needed to block it out of her mind. The snap of the trap widened her eyes._

 _The rat had survived, Hanabi looked at Sakura who had a smile on her face. She released the trap and the rat scurried into her hands. Sakura examined the rat closely, some signs of trauma but it was very minor. The rat resisted a broken neck._

" _Hanabi, what I have here is something similar to a soldier pill, but instead of only replenishing chakra and blood, it will also give them energy and resist fatal injuries. There still is some testing to be done, but I am entrusting you with the housing and the further investigation of what more it can do. Do you accept?" With a glint of pride and determination in her eyes she grinned._

" _I accept."_

"I see. So you are absolutely certain that only you, your apprentice and I are the only ones aware of this new drug you've created?" Sakura firmly nodded.

"Itachi, I need to know the reason for why Akatsuki needs my help. Even with this new drug, you all are far more powerful than Sasuke, Orochimaru, Kabuto and Madara. Right?" He hesitated to answer.

"Sakura, it is no secret that I am dying, my disease has become a hindrance in the past few years, I suspect that Sasuke will be able to defeat me in my weakened state if I were to engage in battle with him at full strength. Orochimaru and Kabuto are the easiest targets, by far, however the most cunning would be either Kabuto or Madara, even with Akatsuki at full power, Madara and Orochimaru have the ability to resurrect anyone of their choosing, it would be unwise to assume they will not use that to their advantage."

Sakura spent several moment just thinking critically, if Itachi was right, Madara and Orochimaru could revive the entire Uchiha clan if they so choose and destroy Konoha like it was originally planned.

"I still wish to know what I have to do with any of this. Besides my connection to Sasuke and Kabuto, what importance do I have to resist their attack any more than say, Naruto? Naruto has fought and won against Sasuke before, Sasuke is more powerful than Orochimaru and Kabuto, so the only other person who would be any trouble would be Madara, and I honestly don't know what to expect from him."

"Naruto may have won against Sasuke in the past, but there has always been the promise to Orochimaru to assume Sasuke's body by force."

"Sasuke would never let Orochimaru take over his body." Sakura dejected, Sasuke was an asshole, no doubt, but he wasn't an idiot. He wouldn't be easily swayed by Orochimaru's demands to take control of his being.

"He doesn't have any choice, whether you realize it or not, Orochimaru had began the process several years ago. The only reason that Orochimaru has halted the full possession of Sasuke is because of his ties in Konoha, or more importantly, his ties to you." Shocked, she pointed to herself, her words stumbling from her mouth.

"B-but why? What is Orochimaru planning?"

"Orochimaru ordered Sasuke to assume an heir for the taking in exchange for his life." Sakura's hands went to her mouth, covering the sounds of an approaching cry. Her tears were evidence as such, she shook her head and tried to blink the tears away.

"Why would he do that? Why would he accept that? I, I thought Sasuke loved his clan? Why would he give up his own child to Orochimaru?"

"Sasuke wishes to kill me by his own hand, without Orochimaru's influence. You sealed the curse mark, did you not?"

The past three years had been a lie. His love was a lie, his reformation was a lie, his desire to have a family, was a _lie_. It all made sense, even if she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't help but feel angered, hurt, betrayed. He had used her, she knew that from the moment he came back, but to such an extent? How could he be so selfish? How was he capable of such hate and malice?

She thought of her unborn child, she had hated herself for so long because of her child's death. Sasuke blamed her, hell, she blamed herself. What sort of medic could not do anything to save her own child's life? The pain never left her heart, the what ifs would always come to mind whenever she thought of having her family.

But this, it was all a lie. Sasuke's urgency to get married, his urgency to start their family, it was all a ploy, she was merely a pawn in his game. It killed her to think that it was for the best her child had perished before it was born into a world of hate and war.

She tried not to think about it, but her child would have been a year old if she had not miscarried. She never even had the chance to give it a name.

"Yoshi…" she spoke to herself. That would have been their name, unknowing if it would have been a girl or boy, they were lucky to have escaped.

Itachi didn't respond, he left her to her own thoughts, feeling that she had far more things she had to settle within her mind than he could help her with.

"We will talk more in time, Sakura. I believe you should rest."

 **X**

Ino was pissed off. She was so sick and tired of Sasuke and his constant ass-hattery, and she was taking a stand. She was going straight to the elders to order them to nominate him for execution. He had been given far too many chances.

"Yamanaka-san, give us reason to believe that executing Uchiha Sasuke would be best for Konoha, considering he is the last willing heir of the clan of Uchiha?" Ino cleared her throat and straightened out her skirt as she stood up.

"Uchiha Sasuke has been guilty of several crimes against Konoha and also against other villages within our alliance. Sasuke has been cleared of a majority of his crimes prior to returning to Konoha but he has continued to commit the same sins as he did before."

The old woman eyed the younger, her fingers tapping against the tale.

"Please elaborate, Yamanaka-san."

"Uchiha Sasuke has been found guilty of physical and emotional abuse towards Haruno Sakura starting from his return up until two nights ago, whenever he physically assaulted one last time, leaving her for dead, only for his brother and another member of Akatsuki to take her."

Homura looked to Koharu and Danzo with worried eyes. Danzo didn't return the gaze, instead crossing his arms and looking down upon Ino.

"We have no say in whatever happens within the relationship of two Shinobi, that is hardly a cause for concern that is worth our time." Danzo stated harshly. Ino suppressed the urge to growl at the old man, he was the worst of the council, she knew if she were to get anywhere, she would need him on her side, no matter how old and corrupt he was, he held a lot of power.

"This is not only about Sakura, but about Konoha. Sakura is a valuable resource for this village, whenever Tsunade-sama passes away, Sakura will be the best medic in the shinobi world, are you all willing to risk her life for the sake of the Sharingan?" The council lay silent for a moment.

"The Sharingan is far more useful than a mere medic, no matter how skillful. There will always be medics, the Sharingan has one last chance to reign supreme, and I will not allow for this village to sacrifice one of the most powerful doujutsu for the sake of a little girl."

"Wouldn't the option of preserving sperm from Sasuke to implant into a willing mother be satisfactory? Sasuke is becoming more of a liability than a national treasure, Danzo-sama."

"She does have a point, Danzo-sama. Sasuke is nothing more than a nuisance, ever since the tragedy of the clan, he has been nothing more than a thorn in our sides. Procuring his DNA would keep the bloodline within our village and he will no longer be a threat." Homura pointed out. Koharu nodded their head in agreement.

Danzo scoffed, what care would he have for a simple medic? Especially for Tsunade's medic. If he disliked anyone more than Tsunade herself, it would have been her apprentice. Always questioning his authority and delaying his decisions of the council. She was far more annoying than he wished to deal with.

"What if this idea of insemination does not procure an heir? What would we have lost?" He glared.

"Obviously, insemination would be the safest and most accurate route at this time, before the insemination process, the medic would be preparing the sample for insemination and searching for the right woman to host the pregnancy. The insemination process is almost guaranteed to be successful, if everything is done correctly." She stated bluntly.

She shifted her attention between the three council members, they exchanged whispers, Danzou still seemed to be against her suggestion, but Koharu and Homura both agreed to Ino's condition. As soon as they were to reveal their decision, they felt the room shake, an explosion was heard outside the building.

"Take cover! I will be back to check on you, I promise. I need to make sure the gate hasn't been taken over." She ordered them in haste, running out of the building only to see the dust and debris filling the air. The gate was still in tact, but greatly damaged. There were shinobi on both sides of the gate, Konoha and Sound.

'Sasuke' she seethed. That bastard, she knew he had something to do with this. As soon as she made sure that there were no current injuries she rushed to the prison only to be stopped by Gaara and Kankurou.

"Kankurou? What are you doing here?" she questioned, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her aside quickly.

"I don't have much time, I came here with Gaara when we heard about the asshole, then he told us that Sound is here to retrieve him and attack Konoha. They have already attacked Suna, we have to go." She growled, why would he attack Suna?

"Why would he go after Suna?" Gaara looked at Kankurou impatiently, he sighed. He placed his hands on Ino's shoulders and kissed her once.

"Because Sakura was going to leave him for Gaara. He's pissed. I can't say any more, I have to go, but I want you to keep fighting for Sakura over here, I will be back once everything in Suna has mulled over. Temari can only handle so much…" Ino only nodded, giving him one last kiss before seeing him dash off into the barrage of sound ninjas.

"God damnit, Sasuke. If I were any wiser, I'd say that you were the true murderer of your clan. Your brother would be ashamed."

 **X**

Upon hearing the explosion, Hanabi feared for the worst. Her sister was still gone, likely with Naruto and Sasuke at the prison. She held her niece and nephew closely as they wailed. She would protect them with her life. Armed with kunai and implementing chakra string, she made sure if anyone were to come, she would keep them far away from her and the infants.

It was a moment before she realized that she would need to go to her house, she had no other choice. She prepared a bag for the twins before swiftly running into the night, searching for her apartment. She cursed herself for getting an apartment outside of their clan compound. She would have been safe and protected indefinitely, but outside in the village was a life or death match that she had no interest in partaking.

She was thankful that the twins had calmed down once again enough to fall back asleep. She had Hima slung over her back and Shoru over her chest. She could not take the chance of carrying them by hand, if she were to be ambushed by anyone, she would need to have both hands readily available to her.

She just had to make it back to her apartment quick enough to get in, get out, and go back into hiding within the compound's underground safe house. Easy enough, if the village hadn't been covered in bloody shinobi fighting in her path.

The moment she felt that she was being followed was the moment she took even more precautions and focused chakra around both Hima and Shoru. If anything were to come at her, they would be safe for as long as she had the chakra to spend.

"I see that Sakura-chan's apprentice has learned quite a lot in her absence. It would make for an interesting fight, too bad you have two liabilities slung to your body. It really does open up a way for…. Weaknesses." She could not freeze, she refused to ever make herself vulnerable, her niece and nephew vulnerable. It seems she will have to fight the man who had shattered the Sakura she admired so much. She will not let him live.

"Kabuto Yakushi. What are you doing, following me?" She growled. She readied the chakra laced kunai, warning him to stay far away. He only laughed taking several steps towards her. She activated her Byakugan as a last warning.

"Perhaps, I wanted to test Sakura-chan's limits, or perhaps I'm just here by circumstance. You are in no position to fight with two little sacks of flesh over your body, you should really give up, just like Sakura-chan did, I promise it won't be nearly as painful. Well, not for me, that is." He sneered.

Her kunai launched quickly, she aimed for his neck but he caught the kunai between his fingers and smirked.

"Such trivial things wouldn't work on me, child. I see that Sakura-chan's training wasn't nearly as extensive as I assumed." He laughed, Hanabi glared at him, her doujutsu still flared threateningly. She then smirked as she saw his fingers begin to engorge and change into a purplish color. He threw it back at her angrily.

"What have you done, you little bitch?"

"For a medic himself, you sure don't seem to realize that you've been poisoned." She stated smugly. He armed himself with his own kunai and cut off his two infected fingers before the poison spread. His face distorted into annoyance at his lost appendages.

"It seems I have underestimated you, a mistake I won't make again." Hanabi gritted her teeth, she had no plan for battle. She had medical ninjustu, close combat, which she would not use with Hima and Shoru, and then weaponry, and poisons.

It seems she had no choice in the matter as Kabuto ran to her engaging in close combat. She cursed, she knew her chakra would keep the twins safe from any attacks for the time being until her chakra was completely spent, but she knew that there was no safe way of going after Kabuto with them on her person. There will be a time in which she will have no more chakra to shield them and she would only have her own evasion to rely on.

He was getting far too close for comfort, she could feel the twins stirring in their sleep, she didn't want to let this bastard live another day but she had to escape for now. Their safety came first. Calculating a mis-step on his part, she focused chakra to her palm and held it out forcefully, the blast of chakra knocking him back several hundred feet back. She made sure that he would not be a threat while she made her escape.

She ran, her Byakugan still activated, paranoia still holding full conscience of her being. It didn't matter, the twins were safe for now. She had to get to her apartment and get the vials. She knew she would have to face against Kabuto again, she thought of going to Hinata and Naruto for help but she figured they were joining in to protect Konoha. She still had Shoru and Hima to look after, and she will do just that.

'Sakura-chan… I wish you were here." She thought sullenly. Now was not the time to break down and cry, it was time to stand strong and protect her loved ones. She was a shinobi of Konoha, she was a Hyuuga, she will show them all the extents of her power, her determination, her will of fire.

Her will of fire shall not simmer down, if anything, it was as though gasoline had ignited it into a burning passion that brought Hanabi to the point of her training she had never once reached. She would fight to the death, and death was the least of her worries.

 **X**

 _He hated Sunagakure. He hated the weather, he hated the land, he hated the people, oh, god, he hated them_ _ **all**_ _; but one thing he hated the most at this moment, was that damned therapist. Picking, prodding into Sakura's mind, opening doors he himself had intentionally locked, what the hell does she think she is doing, rather, accomplishing?_

 _He hated that therapist for making Sakura become one, once again. Had she remained frail, she would have followed him without a second thought. To say he was ultimately pissed at Kabuto for attacking Sakura and virtually disabling her ability to reproduce, he would be putting it lightly; however, Kabuto did his job correctly._

 _Traumatize her in such a way that recovery would be nearly impossible, and if she were to stay by his side, he would be certain that Sakura could not ever stray, she would follow him through and through without question. Just like the wife she was destined to be._

 _That stupid therapist was undoing all the conditioning he had set out to implement, she never back-talked. She never questioned him, she would do as he say if she really loved him, she would give him her all, or he would not accept any._

 _The only annoyance he encountered was her reluctance to having a child with him. She had used every excuse she could have exhausted until there were no other reasons left to give. Whenever she told him she was with child finally, he was relieved. Phase one was nearly complete. He had some time before Orochimaru would come for him, but he would need Sakura to make sure their child was healthy. He could count on that._

 _x_

 _He noticed that Sakura had taken off some time from the hospital and stopped her mission flow just as he previously requested. He was pleased, she was doing just as he wanted and expected. Whenever she came to him one day, far more clingy than normal, he was aware something was wrong._

 _Sasuke-kun… I-I," She tried to find the words but broke down into sobs clinging to the sleeves of his shirt. She fell to her knees shaking her head. His sharingan activated as he noticed the absence of chakra from her womb. He pulled away, allowing her body to fall to the floor. He let her hold herself on the floor as she cried, holding onto her stomach._

" _I tried… I tried to save him! I did everything right, I don't understand, I don't understand why! I couldn't save my baby!" She continued to cry._

 _He had bit the inside of his cheek while he glared at her form, how could she just lose their child? How could she? She was a medic, how the hell could she, out of all people, allow their child to die?_

" _Please, Sasuke-kun… I need you, I, I am so sorry, I just need you to hold me, please…" She pleaded._

" _You can hold yourself." He spat out, bitterly. Her sobs only intensified._

 _He left her there, there was nothing left to say between them. Walking to Naruto's house he had a lot to think about. Had he made a mistake in choosing Sakura to bear his children? He only chose her due to their previous relationship and her own talents and apprenticeship to Tsunade. She was a medic, who had long surpassed her teacher, and she failed to save their child._

 _There was no room for forgiveness in his heart. Only hate. Hate for his brother, and hate for the woman he entrusted with the life of his unborn child. Both had killed his family, and he was the one who was left alone. He vowed, he will never been the one left alone again_

 _She will give him an heir, and perhaps a few spares, then he will kill her. An eye for an eye, two birds one stone. She will give him what he had always wanted, and he will give her the life she once begged of him. She will be Uchiha until the day she died, and he will have the vengeance he would taste on her lips. She was his to claim, his to kill. No one else will have that right. She was_ _ **his**_ _._

 _ **X**_

I absolutely despised writing this chapter. I don't know why, it just felt like I couldn't get into the groove of things except whenever I was writing the scene with Hanabi. I was attempting to write a full length fight scene, but of course, I failed and retreated(much like Hanabi, lool) until next chapter. I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I have been trying so very hard to make it better than this, I just couldn't find it in me to make it flow better. I'm probably just being way too critical for my own good, but I am a perfectionist. I want to make it as great as I can so it can reach to new heights compared to the original.

I had just received a promotion from work so I _might_ take a little longer with the updates, I doubt it considering it's only a part time promotion, but just fair warning. Also, my daughter has been having a grand time destroying my keyboards. Sorry. I wanted to make sure this chapter got out soon because I am excited to turn my attention back to HITM.

As much as I love this story, HITM has a special place in my heart as it was the only real finished story I had, not counting one shots, and I have a lot of great ideas for it. This story has kind of burned me out in some ways, but don't worry, it will be finished. Within a month or two, this story will be concluded.

Next chapter: Kabuto vs Hanabi, I will write a proper fight scene, even if it kills me. *cries* Sakura returns to Suna, Sasuke goes back to Madara and Orochimaru. Ohoho~ Thank you all again for your patience.

Miyaka Hana


	8. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

A/N: I have spent at least five hours researching fight scenes and watching previous fight scenes in Naruto to write this chapter. To put it simply, I am still _very_ out of my element here but I am going to put my all into it. I promised a full length fight scene, and by kami as my witness, it will happen. I may combust into absolute shame, but it will happen. Anyways, I hope people aren't turned off by my complaining on how I feel about my chapters.

I am very much a perfectionist and if I don't like reading my own writing, I don't want others really reading it. Due to my own insecurities, I sometimes wonder if I should find someone who can read my chapters as I am writing them to make sure that they are interesting and what other readers are interested in.

On another note, I am looking for a co-writer for a new story I have in mind. I would like to branch out to other writers within the fandom and maybe seek guidance or give guidance myself. I have not collaborated with another writer since the beginning of my account in 2007 and that was with a person in real life and honestly, it wasn't all that great anyways. Lol.

Story info(You've probably already heard about it before):

 **Dignity**

 **Summary:** He was there just to disprove the rumors, only to realize she was the one person he least expected to see. "What are you doing here? You were supposed to be doctor, not a whore." She looked up at him, her hands grasping her robe. "Some things are worth more than my dignity." Single Parent/Au/SasuSaku/SasoDei/Prostitution

 **Pairing:** SasuSaku, SasoDei, some NaruHina, other pairings to be decided.

 **Rating:** Mature

 **The Bloody Cherry Blossom**

 **Chapter Eight: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing**

She just had to go in, get it, and get out. There was no time to waste. Kabuto would no doubt be hunting her down after she had blasted him away with her chakra. She grabbed the vial and placed a couple extras within her pouch. She had let the chakra barrier around the twins down since she escaped Kabuto in a means to conserve her chakra, but she knew she would have to get them out of harm's way soon if she came across the medic once more.

Sakura always told her to stick to the one plan she had in mind, never go back and change it. Your first response is usually the correct one, but Hanabi couldn't help but feel that she had to fight him. Not just for her own safety, but just so she knew that he would never be able to hurt anyone like he had hurt Sakura again. She decided that she would have to go to Hinata, she would be able to keep them safe while she went to protect Konoha from Kabuto.

She carefully exited her apartment and cloaked the twins within her chakra once more. She grabbed a soldier pill and chewed it down before swallowing. She was going to need all the chakra she could handle. She focused chakra to her feet to improve her speed. She made her way towards the prison and noticed all the commotion.

There were sound ninja surrounding the building, She activated her byakugan to search for her sister, still seeing she was inside with Sasuke who seemed to be struggling to escape.

"Hanabi!" She armed herself and turned around to see Ino helping civilians take cover.

"Ino-san! Are you taking care of evacuations?" Ino nodded and then looked at the two bundles swung on Hanabi's body.

"What are you doing with them out here in this madness? Your sister will kill you if something happened to them!" she shrieked.

"I know, but I didn't have a choice. I was already attacked by Kabuto, but my chakra protected them long enough until I could get away. I was going to bring them to Nee-chan, but I guess she's still talking to the bastard." Ino growled and opened her arms out.

"Give them to me, I'll take care of them and you can go get your sister and Naruto." Hanabi took several steps back and readied her hands.

"Hanabi, this is no time to fight! Give me the babies so you can warn them!" Ino hollered. Hanabi glared and placed her hands to kai.

"You would love that, wouldn't you… Kabuto?" As the henge faded over Ino, only Kabuto remained with a smirk on his face. He then proceeded to applaud, his grin ever present.

"I should have expected you wouldn't be so dense to not see through a henge, but enlighten me; How did you know it was me?" Hanabi issued her chakra strings to her kunai and prepared to attack.

"Ino never calls Naruto by name, he is always 'the idiot'. Nice try, however." Kabuto chuckled, bringing chakra to his hands into the form of scalpels. He positioned himself into his fighting stance, they both looked each other in the eye waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Don't you want to keep those little ones safe? Are you underestimating me enough to think I wouldn't aim for them first?" Hanabi's stance did not falter, if anything, it strengthened. She will protect her loved ones with her very life.

"Very well." He dashed at her full speed, his chakra scalpels threatening to pierce her skin. She dodged his attacks as though she were dancing. In return, she brought chakra to her own hands. She looked at him fiercely as he tried to land a hit on the twins.

"Sixty-four palms!" she cried out landing each and every hit. His body seemed to slump throughout the hits and as she landed her sixty-fourth hit, the chakra she had gathered sent him flying. Her eyes did not leave his body for a second, for she knew that he would not be taken down that easily.

As expected, he brought himself back to his feet.

"It seems I'll have play dirty this time. What a shame, you really were a nice work out." With his uninjured hand, he starts to initiate a jutsu, she kept her eyes pealed 360 degrees around. She noticed he was trying to get behind her. She crouched and low swept his fight to which he jumped in his defense.

She didn't expect the piercing sound to come into the air, disturbing the twin's slumber. Their cries now filling the air along with the high pitched noise. Hanabi cursed Kabuto's name as she tried to keep focus throughout the babies' cries.

"It must be difficult to concentrate with all that crying, I can only imagine if your chakra will be able to stay stable enough." Hanabi glared at Kabuto fiercely, her fists clenched tightly.

"I won't let you hurt anyone I love ever again, Kabuto. If that means fighting you to the death, I will do just that. My duty is to my clan and to the village of Konoha, and I shall defend my brethren from any who trespass. You will not escape this time. Konoha will be the last place you shall ever stand." Hanabi snarled and once again went into her fighting stance.

This will end tonight. She will not let him escape again. Hima and Shoru were counting on her, Hinata and Naruto were counting on her. Sakura. Sakura was counting on her and she will _not_ let Sakura down. She will surpass her mentor one day, and tonight will be the first milestone. She will do what her teacher had not yet done. She will rid the world of this sick scientist once and for all.

"You must be very foolish to try and fight me with your sister's offspring over you, and crying, nonetheless. Very well, it's a fight you want, it will be a fight you will not live to remember." The sound got even higher pitched than before, the wind around them stirring up ferociously. Hanabi focused chakra around her ears, and to the ears of the twins to protect their ear drums.

Her byakugan saw all around her, one eye always focusing on the weak spot she brought out her poisoned shuriken, she then began to spin in a full circle at full speed, releasing the shuriken into the air. She knew that he would be trying to break into her defenses but her kaiten will not give him that chance and she will make a hit. It doesn't matter where it hit, the poison should slow him down some.

"That trick won't work on me, princess…" How could he have gotten behind her? She jumped away quickly but not before feeling her ankle writhe in pain. She brought a healing touch to her ankle accessing the damage quickly. That bastard had severed her achilles, and by god, it hurt like hell.

She was already at a disadvantage with Hima and Shoru, but with her ankle out of commission, she was in serious trouble. She had no choice but to suffer through it, bringing healing chakra to her ankle to at least numb the pain.

The twin's crying still continued well into the fight, she wished she could soothe them, she wished someone, _anyone_ she could trust would take them to safety. To say it was getting dangerous would be a joke. It was dangerous the moment she stepped outside of the compound with two babies slung around her body like open targets. This, this was almost suicide.

Hanabi saw Kabuto trying to form some hand seals, slowly enough to know that he was planning an attack. His lost fingers slowed him down some, she could read the signs but she was not familiar by what they would produce.

"Behind you." One voice cackled. Hanabi tensed up and swept her feet behind her to find nothing. Then the voices started sounding off in all directions. She interlocked her fingers to release the genjutsu, only to realize that there was none to release.

"What is this, Kabuto?" She growled. The voices laughed in unison.

"Sound clones, you will hear me everyone but where will I really be? Such a pity our game must come to an end." The voices began to come closer and closer. Whenever she felt the presence creep onto her from behind she jumped high up into the air to see blurry black mist below her.

She noticed the chakra forming on the mist's, what she would assume, arm resembling a chakra blade. She saw her long black locks fall onto the earth. She turned her head to check on Hima to find she was still safe, the mist got only close enough to chop off her hair which was covering Hima's body.

That was the last straw. She will not let him be so close to her to hurt her nephew or niece, he will not hurt anyone. Sakura was not aware of this jutsu she had been creating, and she wanted to keep it secret as such. She knew it would be a huge risk, hell, she might even die if things go wrong, but this was her last chance. This will be the last stance.

 **X**

Ibiki tightened the restraints over Sasuke as he started to drag him out of the T&I building. Hinata followed suit, never allowing him out of her sight. Naruto stood beside his wife, anger in his eyes as he witnessed the destruction outside. He turned his gaze back to Sasuke who was smirking at the sight.

"What have you done, Sasuke?" Sasuke cocked his head to the side, still displaying the same smirk.

"I told you, Konoha will pay for their betrayal. A life for a life, and eye for an eye. If you wish for Konoha to stand one more day, you will release me. And besides, I'm sure Hinata would like to get to Hanabi and the twins before Kabuto does." The chains tightened around Sasuke's neck and Hinata's eyes widened.

"Hanabi? Hima, and Shoru? What is Kabuto going to do, Sasuke?" she asked frantically, to which he only chuckled.

"You best get there to find out, before he gives them the same fate as Sakura." Hinata's byakugan reactivated, scanning around the area. Once she caught sight of Hanabi, she saw that a figure was behind Hanabi and had a chakra scalpel aimed for Hima and he cut swiftly, but only cutting Hanabi's long hair instead, Hima remained unscathed.

"Hima! Hanabi! Naruto, we have to go! Hanabi has Hima and Shoru, she's fighting Kabuto!" Hinata and Naruto left Kakashi, Tsunade, and Ibiki to Sasuke. Kakashi held a kunai to the back of Sasuke's neck, Tsunade's hand radiated with chakra, preparing to strike at any moment.

"Don't make any sudden movements, Uchiha. I will not be afraid to strike you down." Tsunade snarled. She had, had it with this nuisance. If Sakura would have allowed her to execute him like she had planned, none of this would have happened. Well, for the most part. She was sure that Orochimaru would have been pissed off and came to exact revenge, but not to this magnitude.

The moment he came back, she knew not to trust him. She held high on that belief that he was up to something. He would not willingly come back just to marry Sakura and give Sakura the 'happily ever after' Sakura had dreamed about since childhood.

She knew the Uchiha better than that. She was positive that the Uchiha would not do anything if it did not somehow benefit him equally, or more in the end. That's why she knew she had to keep an eye on him. She herself would not have the time, so she had to find someone just close enough to sneak his way into Sasuke's life and find out his true intentions. There was only one person she had in mind.

" _Hokage-sama, you have called for me?" the pale, black haired nin stood before his Hokage. She looked to Shizune who in turn nodded, leaving the room. She activated a cloak of genjutsu over her office before meeting his eyes._

" _Sai, you are aware that Sasuke Uchiha is back within Konoha, correct?" to which he nodded in response._

" _I suppose my spot within Team Seven is now the Uchiha's, correct, Hokage-sama?" Tsunade laughed lightly, but nodded._

" _For your willing resignation over Team Seven, I will give you a mission to complete. It will take a long time, depending on the subject of the matter. Will you accept?" He looked at her blankly and shook his head._

" _Hokage-sama, I refuse to resign my spot with Dickless and Hag in favor of the traitor. I apologize for the insubordination, but the traitor doesn't deserve his spot back." Tsunade laughed to his surprise. She grabbed a cup of what he assumed to be an alcoholic beverage of course._

" _I agree with you, Sai. That's why the mission I am sending you on will be to watch over our lovely traitor and you will report any findings to me, or to Kakashi."_

" _Why Hatake-san?" Tsunade smirked._

" _Because he is going to by my successor of course. He will be aware of this mission when he assumes office or whenever you wish to tell him. It makes no difference to me, really. I didn't want to summon him here and wait for three hours just making friendly chit chat with you, no offense, so he will be briefed at a later time." Sai stood silently, pondering his thoughts._

" _Why are you asking that I out of all people watch over the traitor? Why not get your ANBU to look over him?" She smirked._

" _Because he would be expecting my ANBU. He will be on his very best behavior and whenever I send him out on missions, I cannot afford to have my ANBU follow him. You, however, he will not expect. As soon as you leave Team Seven, you will be but a fragment of a memory to him. Forgotten, perhaps. With your training in ROOT, you will be a better chance at stumbling across mistakes he makes, you know what to look for in traitors, given your experience and all."_

 _"Dickless and Hag will be pissed off if I left, you know." Tsunade shrugged her shoulders then took another sip from her cup._

" _It's a sacrifice we will all have to make. The safety of this village is very important to me, and especially if Sasuke is planning to marry Sakura, her safety is just as in danger. You are the only one I can count on to make sure that Sasuke does not turn his back on this village without our immediate knowing."_

" _They are going to harass you if they know you accepted my resignation and then put me on a mission to which they believe I have no return from. They will be very annoyed and angry."_

" _I don't want to do this to any of you, Sai. You came to me as a spy from Danzo, with no emotions to your name or being. Your bonds with Naruto and Sakura have given me the faith that you are the only one I can trust to keep Konoha and Sakura safe. I will take care of their wrath, don't you worry, but pack your belongings and I will find a new place for you to take residence. Can't have them going to your place and destroying things, ne?" Sai sighed but nodded his head before being dismissed as the genjutsu wore off._

"Oh, Sasuke-kun. You sure have gotten yourself into a predicament, haven't you?" Tsunade's attention turned to her former teammate turned enemy and growled.

"Orochimaru." She seethed whilst preparing to fight. Kakashi held one arm out to hold her back.

"Kakashi, move your hand. This snake needs to be dealt with once and for all."

"Now is not the time, Tsunade. He is here to retrieve Sasuke. We don't know what tricks he may have up his sleeve, plus Sasuke said that Madara will be here. We cannot afford to act without a plan." Orochimaru laughed, his tongue withdrawing from his mouth.

"Ahh… Kakashi… It would have been nice to taste you, but unfortunately, I've set my sights on Sasuke-kun and his offspring."

"Stop fucking around, Orochimaru. Just get me out of here." Sasuke snapped. Orochimaru giggled before his neck began to stretch and aim for Tsunade. Her hands still glowing, she aimed for his head and punched him, cracking his jaw.

"You know better than to attack so irrationally Orochimaru." She stated, only for Orochimaru laughed.

"Perhaps it was just a distraction?" Suddenly the ground started to shake and figures emerged from the ground. Kakashi stared, his eye widened as much as possible. A gasp leaving his lips, then to form a name.

"Rin…" Her hair was still the same woody brown that she had adorned before death. Kakashi subconsciously started to walk towards her, only for Ibiki to place a hand on his shoulder to prevent him.

"Kakashi, it's not the friend you once knew. Look at her eyes." As true to his word's, Rin's eyes were blackened indefinitely, cracks showing around the sockets. She was genuinely gone but Kakashi could not ignore her. He had made a promise to Obito all those years ago and the one request he had was to protect her and he ended up being the one to take away her life.

"I used to blame myself for your death Rin… I used to blame myself for not being able to return your feelings, and finally for not keeping my promise to Obito. But today, I will keep my promise. I will protect you from their control. You deserve your peace, Rin." Kakashi and Rin got into fighting stance, the lifeless look in Rin's eyes motivated him to end this train of self blame and enter a time of peace. It is what Obito would have wanted.

"Ibiki, keep an eye on Sasuke. I have to take care of this once and for all." Ibiki did not loosen his grip on Sasuke's chains, he only grinned and nodded his head in acceptance.

"Tsunade, take care of Orochimaru. I believe Madara would like his little pawn back."

"Oh, Morino-san, but I already have him within my grasps." Ibiki turned his head to see Madara and Sasuke unchained by his side, then back at the substitute that had just faded into nothing. Ibiki growled and began forming hand signs.

"Your techniques will have no use on me, Morino-san. I'm certain that Sasuke has more than prepared me for your… style. However, it would be nice to see how you would do again your own jutsu. Too bad we do not have time, since Sasuke so foolishly had himself… contained. Be prepared, we shall return in two days. Konoha's demise will be imminent." Without a second glance, Madara and Orochimaru disappeared with Sasuke by their side. The reanimated corpse of Rin broke apart, the fragments floating within the wind.

Tsunade growled then hollered at the top of her lungs, her fist punching a nearby tree, shattering it completely.

"God damn it! These fucking Uchiha are always causing trouble! Where the _fuck_ is Sai?"

 **X**

"Temari-san! They-they're back for another attack!" Matsuri came crying, Temari stood up immediately, then seethed in pain. Her chakra reserves were about half way full and she had a few sprains and minor injuries that were still healing. She had no other choice but to go back out there and protect her village. Her duty to her village was the most important, she will save her village, even if in return it cost her life.

"Gaara and Kankurou won't be back for at least 12 hours, I have no other choice. You are needed at the hospital and I am needed with our shinobi. We will protect Suna with our lives. Is everyone on the fore front already?" Matsuri nodded.

"Good. Get back to the hospital, I will see you whenever this attack is over." Temari sighed and dismissed Matsuri. She grabbed her fan and rushed to the battlefield. There was blood and bodies everywhere. Both Suna and Iwa ninjas were lifeless on the ground. Her desire to protect her village grew more, if possible. No more will die under her watch.

It felt like the second wave was even more vicious than the first. More ninja were around, higher ranking ninja, and even more tricks they were pulling. There were several enemy shinobi who were using non native elemental jutsu that would catch her off guard.

She waved her fan around furiously, wrapping the wind into a tornado and aimed it towards a large group of ninja, she felt the pain of fatigue starting to set in but she ignored it, pouring all the chakra she had into eradicating the enemy from her home.

She was cut off guard as the enemy ninja were swept into her tornado and then saw fire seeping out and towards her. She managed to jump out of the way before being scorched, her fan however, was not quite as lucky and was singed from the fire.

A tall man with bushy blonde hair charged towards her, catching her off guard and pinned her down to the ground. She growled, struggling to escape from his grasp, only for him to sneer and stab her with a jagged knife of some sorts into her shoulder, then the other. She screamed, kicking her feet up and flipping the enemy onto his back.

She summoned the least bit of chakra she could manage before collapsing, to her foot and stomped onto his body, the cracks of his bones and the blood squirting from his ears, mouth and nose were all she could manage. She had no more chakra, she had no fan, all she had was this man's death for the sake of Suna.

She wished she could have done more, she cursed herself for not being prepared for another attack so soon. She cursed herself for not being stronger, more resilient like her brother. She felt her own exhaustion wearing over her, she failed to notice the army of men coming in from behind her to finish the job.

By the time she looked around, she knew she had no chance of defeating them. She will die today in the name of her village, and as bittersweet of a way to go, she would have wished for no other death than for the death in protection of her loved ones.

"Shannaro!" The war cry stroke a spark of hope, she realized she was now being carried by someone. She took several deep breaths before looking up to see the face of a man with blue skin and gills. He looked down and grinned at her.

"She's awake, Itachi. Pinky will be happy to hear." Temari twitched slightly as she noticed their robes with the red clouds. Akatsuki. Well, fuck. She thought to herself. Not only was her village being attacked by another nation, but she was now being kidnapped by the same organization that kidnapped and murdered her little brother. _Perfect._

"Don't worry about anything. Pinky and Itachi are taking care of these idiots. They're already retreating, you just rest your pretty little head." Temari stirred in his arms, trying to get out of his grasp, only for him to hold her tighter.

"You are in no position to escape or fight, girly. Pinky would kick my ass if I let you go."

"Who the fuck is pinky?" she managed to breathe out. He chuckled and turned Temari around to see Sakura and Itachi fighting side by side against the intruders. Temari's eyes widened, a gasp left her lips.

"Sakura!" she used all the strength in her throat to call out to her, but it only ended up as a stressed whisper.

"Don't worry, Pinky and Itachi got this. I've been given babysitting duty especially since I have Samehada, I've been giving you a tad bit of chakra so you can move on your own." He laughed. She looked at him suspiciously until realizing, that yes, he was supplying her with a bit of chakra from his sword.

"Why are you here? What business do you have here?" she questioned.

"Pinky actually would not stop raving about coming here, she said she was worried that you might get attacked again, and by god, she really knows when to be right." Temari turned her head to watch Sakura once again, Sakura was fighting for their village, for their lives.

Temari wasn't stupid, by any means. She could tell how much Sakura meant to her little brother, and well, their entire village. Sakura was reigned as a hero along with Team Seven after Kankurou's life saving treatment and Gaara's rescue.

Sakura's reputation only grew whenever she helped Suna get their hospital on the right track, training and supervising their medic nins to make sure they would run just as efficiently without her there. She had trained several genins-jounins medical techniques that could be life saving out on the field. They were simple techniques, but they were greatly valued and appreciated.

Sakura trained Matsuri herself to lead Suna's hospital with an iron fist, figuratively speaking. Matsuri adopted the same determination and leadership Sakura had earned through years of dedicated training under the fifth Hokage.

Sakura did not stop there, however. Sakura even helped Gaara with the inner running of his village and the community. She suggested bringing the village of shinobi and civilians together in an annual festival to celebrate their love for their village. Because regardless of title, all are important to Sunagakure, and all should feel pride whenever they let others know that they are proud citizens of Sunagakure and their Kazekage, Gaara.

Even Suna's elders were smitten with Sakura. They would claim that she was the only non-Suna citizen that they would respect to the same caliber as their own Shinobi and Kazekage. They would constantly suggest a union between Konoha and Suna with an arrangement between Sakura and Gaara himself, but it was always dismissed under the impression that Sakura was only friends with Gaara and would be promised to the survivor of the Uchiha clan, much to their dismay.

It felt like time had passed by so quickly whilst Temari watched over Sakura and Itachi to force out the enemy nin of her village. With the last small group of enemies left, Itachi took a stance that would send chills up anyone's spine.

"If any of you return, you will not live to step foot in this village again. Leave, and never come back." As he said those words, Sakura forced chakra out of her hands into a burst of air, sending them flying miles away from the village gates.

Sakura then turned around to see Temari looking at her, she smiled and ran over to her and Kisame. Kisame set Temari down so Sakura could heal her comfortably.

"Temari, are you okay? Besides your shoulders, where are you injured?" Temari grinned then coughed a little.

"I think my ribs are cracked, but other than that, I should be okay…" Sakura nodded and held a cooling touch to Temari's ribcage, mending the bones carefully, then proceeding to care for her shoulders.

Once she was finished, Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief, and helped Temari back onto her feet, offering her a shoulder for leverage.

"How did you know we were going to be attacked?" Temari asked, Sakura hesitated for a moment.

"Itachi told me that you were attacked last night, I didn't want to take the chance you'd be attacked again so suddenly, so after I woke up early this morning, I brought Itachi and Kisame to help. I didn't know you would have been attacked so recently, but I wanted to make sure you all would be okay… Where is Gaara and Kankurou? Shouldn't they have been here?"

"They were in Konoha when we first got attacked, they're on their way back now, I assume within the next 10 or so hours, unless they pushed themselves to arrive any earlier." Sakura didn't respond but continued to help Temari to the hospital and to see if Matsuri would need any help assessing the damage. Itachi and Kisame followed, however leaving a clone behind, in case someone would wish to enter the village in it's broken shape.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing here? Oh my god, Temari-san! Are you okay?" Matsuri asked frantically, almost bringing a wheelchair for Temari to roll into recovery. Temari put her hand up and grinned.

"Matsuri, I'll be fine. Sakura healed me already, and she brought a little help with her… we should be okay for now." Matsuri's eyes traveled from Sakura and Temari to the two men trailing behind. Her eyes widened as she saw the red and black cloaks, her hand covering her mouth.

"Before you freak out, they are here to help. We are in no danger." Sakura tried to reassure her, but Matsuri's face remained pale. She started to stutter her words, not wanting to believe her own eyes.

"B-but they're Akatsuki! They, they killed Gaara-sama! How can we trust them?" she panicked, but Sakura put her free hand on Matsuri's shoulder to calm her down.

"Matsuri, they saved my life, and they helped me save Temari's life, and the rest of Suna. What happened in the past was out of their control. Trust me, if they were here to cause you all harm, they would have had to kill me first." Matsuri took several deep breaths and relaxed.

"Okay, so _why_ would they help us?"

"Matsuri-san, we are mostly here due to Sakura-san's request, however, it is of importance to me because the attacks are connected to my little brother. He is fairly upset, I can imagine."

"What would piss off Sasuke enough to attack us?" Everyone turned to Sakura, who was fighting a blush from her cheeks, however failing. She crossed her arms and turned her cheek.

"I decided not to marry Sasuke, as expected, he's pretty ticked." She murmured, Temari wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"But that doesn't explain why he came to attack us specifically, _unless_ a certain brother of mine was possibly mentioned." She couldn't help but smile, covering her face with her hand and shaking her head.

"Temari, I-"

"Our clones have been attacked. Someone is coming our way." Itachi said stoically, readying himself for attack. The doors of the hospital flung open, only to show two men, a murderous intent in their eyes, ready for battle. Their eyes only softened once they met with Sakura's.

She walked towards them, her hand reaching out, her bottom lip quivered.

"Gaara." Her hand met his, then she felt being pulled into his arms. She felt tears swell into her eyes, she held him tightly, crying into his chest. His embrace loosened for just a moment, his hand picked up her cheek, his eyes looked deeply into hers.

"I love you, Sakura." His lips met hers in a gentle, yet passionate kiss. Her eyes were wide but then closed peacefully as she returned the kiss. Whenever they parted, his hand was placed along her cheek, his thumb wiping away her tears.

She grabbed said hand, and looked at him once more, kissing his hand.

"Gaara, I love you too."

 **X**

"Hanabi! Stop!" Just as Hanabi was about to form her hand signs, she turned her head to see her sister and Naruto rushing to her aid. Oh thank god, she said to herself. She wouldn't have to take the chance of the jutsu backfiring on the twins. She interlocked her fingers and called out kai, just in case it were a genjutsu, to her relief, it was really them.

"Aww, what a touching reunion. I was hoping that I could taste some Hyuuga blood tonight." Kabuto taunted, only to have a kunai thrown his way, grazing his cheek. Deep blue eyes met his, he smirked.

"Oh, Naruto-kun. Do you wish to fight me? I'm afraid that Hanabi-chan and I have some _unfinished business_ to attend to." Naruto growled, Hinata and him ran to Hanabi's side and grabbed the twins.

"Hanabi, why did you take them out of the compound?! Are you stupid?" her sister chastised her harshly, but Hanabi did not lose focus on her opponent. Any opening he could find, he would exploit. He was the dirty type of ninja to use those types of openings to his advantage.

"It doesn't matter now, nee-san, get them out of here. I am going to end this bastard once and for all." Just as Hinata was about to object, Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a look of confidence.

"Be careful, Hanabi. Please, _please,_ be careful." Hanabi smirked but nodded her head.

"If anyone can do it, I know you can, Hanabi. We believe in you." Naruto patted her on the back before taking Hinata and his children away within a flash.

"Medic vs Medic. Let's see who has the skill to kill when your mission is to save."

"Stop talking! You are going to die tonight, Kabuto! I won't rest until your blood is on my hands." She snapped, starting her hand signs once more. She will succeed. She will not let him get away this time. There was nothing holding her back now.

As she formed the last seal of her jutsu, strings of chakra started escaping from her tenketsu and attached itself to Kabuto's, startling him at the foreign chakra. He glared and hissed at her. Her tried to form a chakra scalpel to his hands to sever the chakra strings, only to find that he was tapped for chakra, no chakra could be formed or summoned.

"What have you done, you bitch?" he growled. Hanabi smirked, sweat forming above her brows. She had to keep focus, she wouldn't be able to move much whilst performing this jutsu. Maybe one she will be able to make it more useful in open combat, but that time will have to wait. She has to do what she can to make Kabuto surrender.

"I have invaded your chakra points, draining all of your chakra through the strings of my own. I will be able to control use of your and mine chakra all at once. Only our chakra can break the bond, or if one of us dies. I don't plan on dying today, so your only option is to give up and die now, or I will make your death all the more painful."

"I am astounded by your resourcefulness. However, how can you control something that could kill you?" Hanabi then felt a burning sensation as she felt Kabuto's chakra flow through her body, she screamed in pain, but refused to release hold of the jutsu.

"If I were to use my chakra in a manner to kill, perhaps you will feel that killing intent run through your veins. It's a shame, your jutsu could be very useful, if you only had time to refine it." He cackled as his skin began to burn as well.

"You're going to kill yourself just to kill me?" She cried out through her pain. He smirked and shook his head.

"Of course not, I'll only harm myself just enough so you can no longer take the pain and release the jutsu just long enough before I can finish the job. I would love to commend you on your effort, but I'm afraid execution will be a failure this time around."

Kabuto willingly started pouring all his tainted chakra into the strings from his chakra points, he didn't wince any in pain, he watched as Hanabi writhed in pain, her body was being covered burns all around her tenketsu.

'I can't give up… everyone is counting on me, I can't give up…' She tried to encourage herself, struggling to keep control of her jutsu. The pain then became excruciating, she screamed loudly as she felt her insides begin to burn, Kabuto's laughter being drowned out by her cries.

Hanabi braced the pain for just a minute to reach into her pouch and grabbed the vial. This was her last shot, after all the testing and experiments she had done, this vial could mean the difference between life and death. She injected the vial into her thigh and screamed one last time as the pain began to overwhelm her.

Her jutsu failed and the chakra strings were released. She laid on the ground, unable to move. She heard his footsteps coming closer and then the twang of metal being released. She felt his grab the back of her hair being pulled, he lifted her head and brought a kunai to her throat.

"It's such a shame that I do not have time to explore your body like Sakura's, but I suppose I will settle for tasting your blood. Any last words?" He kept his attention on Hanabi's eyes, the kunai pressed to her throat, ready to slice.

Her byakugan reactivated and she brought her chakra filled fist and punched his chest, not realizing that her hand had actually pierced through his chest, his ribs and spine shattered around her fist, cutting her hand. She felt his heart began to lose its rhythm, blood leaked from his mouth. He started choking on his own blood.

Hanabi withdrew her hand from his chest, letting his body fall to the floor. He coughed several times, trying to bring chakra to his hands as a last chance to heal, only finding it was useless.

"You… " he breathed out before closing his eyes and allowing his arms fall to the side. Hanabi took a deep breath, bringing chakra to her hand and then severing his head in one clean shot. It was over. She grabbed his severed head and started to walk away. She will not look back this time, it was over.

 **X**

A/N: Another short chapter, so I can try to give ya'll close to the 15 chapters I said. Anyways, next chapter will be some GaaSaku fluff, OroSasuMada finding out that Kabuto is dead and being pretty annoyed with it, Hanabi will be bringing Kabuto's head back to Ibiki and perhaps, she may be stopped by a certain _someone_ on the way. Ohohoho~

Thank you all for your patience regarding this chapter and with all of my other stories. I hope this chapter was a great one for you to all to read, and I can only promise more! Hopefully the fight seem wasn't too bad, nor anti-climatic. I had another idea in mind regarding the end of Hanabi's fight, but I decided to give Hanabi more credit. ;) I find her character deserving of more attention and praise. If you all have any suggestions regarding the fight scene, please let me know! I might try another fight scene at the end of the story and I could use all the help I can get. Thank you again everyone, until next time!

Miyaka Hana


	9. Into the Void

A/N: I am SO sorry that it has taken this long to update. Along with my recent promotion, I have been back on my medication for depression and bipolar and it has made me so tired and unmotivated. I thank pinksakura for helping me get the inspiration to write this chapter as well as HITM. Her reviews are the BEST. This chapter is going to be about Sai, Hanabi, some GaaSaku luff and more plot turning stoofs. This story is almost over, I am planning to finish this by September so I can work on HITM and Dignity. Without further adieu, here we go!

 **The Bloody Cherry Blossom**

 **Chapter Nine: Into the Void**

She couldn't think of anything as she was walking with the severed head gripped tightly within her grasp. She could only imagine the backlash she could get from Sasuke as well as the rest of Sound country for disposing of their medic and comrade, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that she had been the one to deliver the justice he had so desperately earned. Regardless of the punishment, or repercussions, she will accept it in stride. She did the world a favor.

She tried to ignore any yells directed at her, she had nothing to explain to anyone but the Hokage and Ibiki. The weight from Kabuto's killing was wearing her down, but she wised not to express it. She did what was necessary. She did not want to be seen as a hero, nor did she want to be seen as someone so ruthless for decapitating him after he was fully deceased, but she would have rather not taken any chances. From the medical journals Sakura had passed down to her, she knows that it would be extremely difficult for anyone to revive a body without the full body in tact.

The only ones that would be capable of doing the opposite were all in Konoha, or the one she had just recently killed. Neither Orochimaru or Madara were skilled or powerful enough to perform a jutsu that can regenerate body parts, such as a head on an incomplete body. As far she knew, that is.

She wished there was more information on Madara Uchiha, but it seems as though most information on him had been hidden away within the chambers only accessible to the Hokage and certified personnel. All she could manage to dig up from her studies were that Madara and the first Hokage were friends, but after certain events their friendship turned deadly and Madara and the first fought for the title of Ruler of Konoha. Madara supposedly perished in said battle, the reason he had returned was definitely from Orochimaru and Kabuto's influence, but how exactly had Kabuto revived the Uchiha so permanently? It was no reanimation jutsu. He was fully alive.

Even though she knew that Sasuke, Madara, and Orochimaru were no where in sight, she couldn't let her guard down much. They could jump on her at any moment, _especially_ after she had disposed of Kabuto. Whenever she noticed a drop of black ink drop from the sky, she was prepared, only for a cloud of ink to rain over her. She growled, only one person could be _this_ annoying.

"Sai, where the hell have _you_ been?" He gave her a simple smile, and patted her head.

"Ah, Hanabi. I have been doing quite a bit of reconnaissance over the past year or two." She rolled her eyes and swung the head at Sai, only to miss.

"You left so suddenly and pissed off not only Sakura, but Naruto was so annoying! He started to call you Sasuke-baka two. Even I know you're not that much of an asshole." Sai continued to smile, Hanabi resisted the urge to cross her arms and pout.

"I'm glad you have more faith in me than the traitor. It brings a tear to my eye." Several minutes of pointless banter continued through the two, Sai merely walked with her to the T&I building.

"So where exactly have you been, Sai? No one told us anything. We just heard you withdrew from Sakura and Naruto's team and disappeared." Sai nodded his head and brought out a manila folder that seemed to be packed to the brim.

"I have been doing some investigative work on the death of Sakura's parents. It is a bit unorthodox for bandits to rob a couple with such little to gain, wouldn't you think?" She hummed in agreement, urging him to continue.

"What I have been looking into, is that it was a set up. Someone paid the bandits to murder her parents, and staged it to look like a simple robbery gone wrong."

His smile was no longer genuine, actually, it had ceased to exist across is face. Hanabi gulped, who would do such a thing?

"It was Sasuke's doing, wasn't it?" Sai nodded his head and passed her a scroll full of information. With her free hand, she skimmed through all the reports and information, the grip on Kabuto's head tightened as she growled.

"How all did you find this out, Sai?" she asked as she handed the folder back to him.

"Well, you see, it's _supposed_ to be confidential, but as the cat has crawled out of the bag, I assume that it won't harm any to give you some insight."

"You see, it all started whenever the traitor returned. Tsunade-sama requested my assistance in monitoring his behavior in exchange for my voluntary resignation of Team Seven. I was hesitant at first, but from hearing of Traitor and hag's engagement, I knew that it was of the utmost importance that I resign and move to the shadows in order to protect not only Konoha, but to protect Team Seven."

He finished. She hadn't realized that they were in front of the T&I building after he said his piece. She didn't have the chance to respond, as Kakashi, Tsunade, and Ibiki all at once approached her in question over the severed head in her possession.

"Lady Hanabi, what is in your possession?" Ibiki questioned her harshly. She lifted the decapitated head for all to see, restraining the twisted smile she felt in her throat.

"Leverage. Without Kabuto, Orochimaru is harmless. Madara and the traitor are the only ones we have to be too concerned with." Both Tsunade and Kakashi exchanged looks, while Ibiki's stare stayed stoic. He merely grabbed the head of the spy and ushered Hanabi away.

With them away, Tsunade's attention went back to Sai, of whom had been MIA for a considerable amount of time.

"Now, Tsunade-sama before you break every bone in my body, I must explain my findings and the reasoning for my disappearance." She crossed her arms, her mouth forming into a scowl.

Kakashi sighed, a third wheel of the conversation he was.

"You damn well better have a reason for not responding in three months, do you understand how much shit has hit the fan, that you and I agreed you would be paid to prevent?" He bowed to her in respect and handed her his mission report, exceeding several pages long.

"Tsunade-sama, I was investigating the death of the hag's parents, and you see, I actually came into contact with the bandits that were paid to ambush the Haruno parents. Originally they were going to just frighten them, until the leader gave them a change of plans and were ordered to assassinate them and stage it as a robbery." He took a couple breaths, both Tsunade and Kakashi seemed to lean in to his every word.

"First off, how did you find the bandits? Second of all, who was calling the shots here?" Kakashi inquired, to which Sai gave a blank and emotionless response.

"You see, after the hag's parents deaths, they left a trail that I managed to track thoroughly enough. I posed as a traveling agent of sorts seeking employment. There was a conversation I overheard regarding the deaths of two merchants close to Iwagakure.

"I deduced this to be Sakura's parents. It wasn't until Orochimaru's name was expressed that I realized it was planned. During this time, I was on lockdown essentially. Until I could gather all the evidence before striking down the group and the leader. There was a gentleman who had explained that he and the rest of the men were being commissioned by Sound, and the order to assassinate was last minute. They had been ordered to harass the Haruno merchants for over a month, but it seems that whenever Sakura and Sasuke's engagement was revealed, their mission changed to assassination."

"So you're saying…"

Sai nodded.

"Sasuke ordered the assassination."

 **X**

It felt like she was in a different world whenever she was in his company, their first kiss after one another's confession was passionate, yet gentle in a way. She could only describe it as natural, she felt at ease, she could feel the love she held for him and vice versa.

She half-wanted to hit herself over the head for her ignorant bliss, she had wasted so much looking for the one thing she was dreaming of, when that dream had been right under her nose the entire time. It no longer mattered, however. She held his hand close to her face, kissing it gently and allowing her eyes to catch his, while he managed to pull her into another kiss.

He felt tears falling down his cheeks, they weren't his lovers, but his own. He had broken the kiss once more, she smiled at him in understanding, wiping away his tears and rising to her tippy-toes to kiss the kanji that had adorned his forehead for many years.

"I have been so stupid, Gaara. I am so sorry for not realizing how much you meant to me sooner." She laughed to herself softly. He pulled her hand from his face and placed it above his chest.

"Having you in my life as my friend has been more than I could have ever expected, having you as the one I love within my arms is the dream I never thought I would have."

Both had nearly forgotten that there were others still there, standing by idly as the lovers finally embraced. It made no difference, however. He held no shame in expressing his emotions to the one who had reminded him that he still had them, regardless of what he was raised to believe.

Temari and Matsuri were practically gawking at the couple, amazed at how articulate Gaara was with expressing to Sakura his feelings. He had made so much progress in ten years. Kankurou was grinning from ear to ear, Kisame and Itachi seemed relatively uninterested, more or less just keeping an ear out in case any other chaos were to come upon the sandy village.

"We have many things to discuss, but they will all have to wait until a more appropriate time. Madara Uchiha, Orochimaru, and Kabuto have invaded Konoha. I assume they have retrieved Sasuke, but I am unaware of any other details at this time." Sakura took a moment to gather her thoughts. What all had happened after she was taken from Konoha Rather, rescued, would be a much proper word to use. She sighed, but stayed close to her best friend, unwilling to leave his side for another moment.

"Akatsuki, may I ask what you are doing within my village for one?" his attention drifted to the two men in black and red cloaks. Kisame grinned widely, while Kakashi blankly stared on.

"Sakura had requested our help in guarding the village, and we decided to oblige. We have been on separate ends of battle in the past, but in the Akatsuki's current interests, would align us more as allies, against Orochimaru and my younger brother." Itachi replied.

"It is true, Gaara. If it weren't for Sakura and the Akatsuki, I would have died and our village would be in ruin. They came just in the nick of time." Temari spoke up in their defense. Definitely something she had never expected to say or do, but desperate times call for desperate measures, it seems.

"Gaara looked to both Itachi and Kisame, his face void and blank, but simply nodded. He lowered to one knee and bowed his head in respect.

"Thank you for your protection over my village, my sister, and Sakura. You both have earned my respect, and if Sakura believes you to be trust-worthy, you have earned my trust as well."

 **X**

The yellow eyed sanin was following his associates lead whenever he felt the lifeline connection he had to Kabuto break. He hissed, loudly enough to gain the attention of the other males in his presence.

"It seems that Kabuto has been defeated, by that Hyuuga apprentice." Sasuke was the first to react, only with anger as natural for the young Uchiha. Retracting his blade from its home, he sliced down a tall tree in frustration.

"That idiot couldn't finish the job, so I will have to take care of matters myself next time. I will make sure that she will not survive this time." Before he could turn back Madara placed his hand over his shoulder to restrain him.

"Soon, Sasuke. Your chakra will take some time to return. Then you will get your revenge and we will give Konoha the justice is deserves. Konoha will be ours, as it should have been in the beginning."

 **X**

After what seemed to be hours of questioning, Hanabi was released from Ibiki's interrogation room. He had confiscated the head of Kabuto and had Hanabi write a detailed report of the entire battle between her and Kabuto, from the moment she left the Hyuuga compound to the moment he saw her with the head of the fallen spy.

She was tired, mentally and physically. She wanted to see her sister, she wanted to see Sakura and let Sakura know that her tormentor would never come and hurt her ever again.

She was raised to keep her emotions in check, but with Sakura as her mentor, she found it hard to keep up that façade for too long. Sakura trained her with her heart, bringing into her that her emotions would not make her weaker, but stronger than she could imagine. Because willpower is only as strong as your desire to protect the ones you love.

She went to grab a lock of her hair to nervously stroke it only to remember it was all gone. It was all chopped off by Kabuto in an attempt to injure her niece. She did not regret it, for her hair had been there to shield her niece from Kabuto's assault. She didn't know how she looked, but she felt _different_.

She chuckled. She _may_ just keep it short. She had managed to walk home in silence. Naruto was outside the compound, assumedly waiting for her. She couldn't help but crack a smile, to his own wide grin. Without thinking she ran into his arms and hugged him tightly, not caring if she was crying or not.

Naruto rubbed her head and brought her inside to see her sister full of relief rushing to her.

"Oh Hanabi! I was so worried!" Hinata cried and held her sister closely and tightly. She hugged back and smiled to her sister.

"I did my best, Nee-san, he… He won't be able to hurt anyone ever again." Suddenly feeling a wave of dizziness come over her, her body began to go lip, her skin growing pale. She felt her own heartbeat starting to raise, a panic beginning to plague her body and mind. What was happening? She wasn't poisoned, or was she?

"Hanabi, you're experiencing chakra exhaustion. Your reserves are completely depleted. You need to rest." Her eyes were getting heavy, the last thing she saw was her sister's tear-filled face before she went into a deep sleep.

 _She knew she had to be asleep, deeply asleep. Why else would she be seeing Sakura's genin team? Rather more of the female of the team. Sarada, was her name, right? Anyways. Why was she dreaming about this? She never even went on a mission with Sakura's team, she only met them all briefly through random events and holidays._

 _At first, Hanabi felt a little jealous- no. Jealous was not the right word. She felt, annoyed that Sakura had taken up a team of Genin after being promised to be her apprentice. She should have figured that Sakura would get a team sooner or later. Especially if the village wanted more Genin to get interested within the Medic-Nin curriculum. She couldn't possibly hog Sakura all to herself._

'' _She was mine first though…" she would tell herself whenever she'd look at the team in disdain. She didn't even hate them personally, she just hated that whatever time Sakura wasn't spending with her, was now going to these three students._

 _She had been Sakura's student for 7 months before the team came into play. Sakura explained to Hanabi that her time will be equally divided between the team and to teaching Hanabi all she can. She was embarrassed to admit that perhaps she was a little possessive of Sakura, and whenever Sakura took notice, she was definitely set straight._

 _Sakura had chastised her, explaining that there was no room for jealousy or hate for a training medic. If she were to continue that behavior she would cease any training with her indefinitely. Hanabi's first reaction was of course anger, then fear. Why would Sakura abandon her for those three? Didn't Sakura love her enough to be her trainer primarily?_

 _But Sakura's firm glare had transitioned her feelings into the side of sadness and regret. 'Please don't leave me.' Hanabi had managed to express, as she tried to repress any sign of the tears trying to form in her eyes. Sakura only froze at the words, allowing tears to form in her eyes as well. She hugged her young apprentice, and reassured her that she would never leave her. She would always be there whenever she needed her._

" _It is my fault that Sakura-sensei has suffered." Where had that voice come from? Was this truly a dream?_

" _Why was I allowed to exist, only as the child to such evil?" Her dreamscape disintegrated, only into a white void, the voice growing closer, yet she still was unable to recognize it. It seemed so familiar…_

" _Is God so cruel to allow me to have been born? My fate now lies in hell, for I have deceived his wishes."_

" _Who are you?" Hanabi called out to the void._

" _I wish I knew." The void responded sadly._

" _How could you not know? You are in control here, aren't you?"_

" _You are in control of your mind, Hanabi. I am but a figment of the past, for the future held no place for me but pain. I only wish to beg forgiveness for my sins, though I know I will be forever damned."_

 _Hanabi tried to connect the voice, she knew she had heard it before, it was so familiar to her, she needed to help it move on, or what was the purpose of this dream? Was this planted by Kabuto before his death?_

" _Do you know Kabuto?" Hanabi asked rashly to receive a silent gasp._

" _Evil mustn't be named aloud, he… he will come back. You cannot allow him to come back!" the voice turned frantic._

" _He is dead, he cannot come back, his head is in customer and the rest of his body has been cremated. He will not be able to come back." Hanabi tried to explain, but the voice bellowed in disagreement._

" _He will come back! Please, don't let him come back! He will make me return! I just want to be in peace for once!"_

" _Who are you? You are so familiar… How do you know Sakura?" The voice became silent, receding back into the colorless void._

" _Protect her, please. For I have failed."_

Hanabi woke up startled in a cold sweat. She was breathing heavily. She was in her bed, it was still relatively dark outside, but the sun was starting to peer over the horizon. Whatever that _dream_ was, she would have to take it as a warning. It was not over, as she had previously assumed.

 **X**

I am very sorry that this chapter was so short, especially considering how long it has taken for me to release it.

I have been dealing with issues at work and at home. I apologize for the lack of updates, and I promise that there will be more soon enough. This chapter gave me a lot of problems, mostly due to how I wanted to go about it, but we will have a much better flow next chapter, and the ending will be coming soon.

I may come to rewrite this chapter later in the future, or whatnot. But for now, this will have to do. Thank you all so much for your patience. HITM will be updated next. And as hint of what you will need to expect for the next chapter of TBCB: Sasuke gets all his powers back and goes back to Konoha to avenge Kabuto's death, Orochimaru has some tricks up his sleeve, and Hanabi goes off the wall. Maybe some more GaaSaku moments, but I need to start wrapping up this plot and the major twist at the end. Thanks again!

-Miyaka Hana


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